''  'AY) 

TORE 

140  PA'~  If,,     4  vr.NUK 
LONG  fit  A 


f  (  /' 

r 


V 

/ 


. 
•',  to, 


^vi^-.x  s»*-~"i? 

1  IT  ONLY  NEEDS  NEW  PROPS."— PAGE  75. 


OLD  BENCHES  WITH  NEW  PROPS. 


BY 

MARY  DWINELL  CHELLIS, 

AUTHOR  OP  "  THE  ATTIC  TENANT,''  "  THE  TURNING  OP  THE  WHEEL,"  "WARD  FIVE 

AND  WARD  TEN,"  "  THE  WINNING  SIDE,"  "  MISS  BELINDA'S  FRIEND8,"  "  PROFIT 

AND  LOSS,"  "  SIX  DOLLARS  A  WEEK,"  "  BREAD  AND  BEER,"  "OUR  HOMES," 

"  ALL  FOR  MONEY,"  "  PROM  FATHER  TO  SON,"  "  THE  BREWERT  AT 

TAYLORVILLE,"    "THE  BREWER'S   FORTUNE,"  "WEALTH  AND 

WINE,"  "  AUNT  DINAH'S  PLEDGE,"  •'  OLD  TIMES,"  "  OUT 

OP  THE  FIRE,"  "  THE  OLD  TAVERN,"  "  THE  WORK- 

INGMAN'S  LOAF,"  "THE  TEMPERANCE 

DOCTOB,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


NEW  YORK : 

The  National  Temperance  Society  and  Publication  House, 
No.  58  READE  STREET. 

1891. 


COPYRIGHT,  1891,  BY 
THE  NATIONAL  TEMPERANCE  SOCIETY  AND  PUBLICATION  HOUSE. 


EDWARD  o.  JENKINS'  SON, 

Printer^  Stereotyfer,  and  Electrotyper, 

20  North  William  St.,  New  York. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEB 

I.  EAGLE  POINT,        ------     5 

II.  THE  BRENNER  PLACE,  15 

III.  MRS.  BYAM,  24 

IV.  Miss  TAMSON  AND  ANN,     -  32 
V.  NEW  TENANTS,       ------    40 

VI.  THE  MORTGAGE,  49 

VII.  THAD  BYAM, 58 

VIII.  CLYDE  STAFFORD,  THE  BREWER,  67 

IX.  EATING  SALOON,  -    77 

X.  SUNSET  WOODS,  87 

XI.  AT  THE  OLD  JOYCE  HOUSE,  -       -       -       -    98 

XII.  How  TO  BE  KICK,  108 

XIII.  TIM  DURRELL,  -       -  117 

XIV.  WHO  SENT  THE  TRACTS?  125 
XV.  STAFFORD,  SENIOR,        -       -       -       -       -  133 

XVI.  A  STRANGE  MEETING,  -  142 

XVII.  UNDER  THE  LINDENS,  -       -       -       -  152 

XVIII.  GRACE  HILLIARD,  161 

XIX.  Two  DAYS,  171 

XX.  A  TEMPERANCE  MEETING,         -  179 

XXI.  IN  A  LUMBER  CAMP,  -       -       -       -  187 

XXII.  A  PRIVATE  INTERVIEW,     -  196 

XXIII.  DR.  LASH,  -  206 

XXIV.  STARVING, 216 

(8) 

2061714 


Contents. 


CHAPTER 

XXV.  RIGHTING  A  WRONG, 

XXVI.  THE  END, 

XXVII.  AT  COLD  SPRING,   - 

XXVIII.  WARREN  LYFORD  SAVED, 

XXIX.  Two  GOSPELS, 

XXX.  THE  SALOON  KEEPER, 

XXXI.  WARNED, 

XXXII.  WAS  IT  AN  ACCIDENT? 

XXXIII.  A  TOWN  MEETING, 

XXXIV.  ROBERT  TREVANION, 
XXXV.  TEN  YEARS,    - 


PAGE 

225 


242 
252 
261 
269 
278 
286 
295 
305 
314 


OLD  BENCHES  WITH  NEW  PROPS, 


CHAPTER    I. 

EAGLE   POINT. 

TAMSON  BRENNER  stood  in  the  observatory, 
looking  off  upon  a  wintry  landscape  which 
gleamed  and  glittered  in  the  sunlight  of  a  clear 
March  day.  A  week  of  mild  weather  had  soft- 
ened and  packed  the  snow,  which  later  had 
frozen  to  a  solid,  unyielding  mass,  thus  offering 
to  the  pedestrian  a  delightful  opportunity  for 
out-of-door  enjoyment. 

All  this  the  observer  noted,  and  then  with  a 
lingering  gaze  at  the  distant  mountains,  de- 
scended the  stairs  leading  to  her  point  of  obser- 
vation, and  presently  met  her  father  in  the 
family  sitting-room,  when  he  asked  anxiously : 

"  Have  you  told  your  mother  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  have  not,"  she  replied.  "She  is 
complaining  more  than  usual  this  morning ;  and 
besides,  I  do  not  feel  quite  equal  to  the  occa- 
sion. I  want  time  to  think  the  matter  over. 
If  you  can  do  without  me  here  at  home  I  will 

(5) 


6  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

go  up  to  Eagle  Point  and  spend  the  day.  The 
long  walk  will  do  me  good,  and  everything 
always  seems  clearer  after  I  have  talked  it  over 
with  Cousin  Prudence." 

"  Then  go,  child.  I  shall  miss  you,  but  in  the 
days  to  come  we  shall  need  all  the  strength 
and  wisdom  you  can  gain.  Your  mother  will 
probably  stay  in  her  room,  and  Ann  need  not 
mind  about  me.  I  shall  not  care  for  dinner." 

"  I  have  already  given  orders  for  your  dinner, 
and  I  shall  not  leave  you  unless  you  promise  to 
eat  it.  You  must  not  give  way  so,"  exclaimed 
the  young  girl,  throwing  her  arms  around  her 
father's  neck.  "  If  you  will  only  help  me,  we 
can  go  through  and  keep  a  home  for  ourselves ; 
if  not  here,  in  some  other  place.  It  does  not 
require  much  to  make  a  home,  if  only  those  we 
love  are  with  us." 

"  I  shall  always  have  a  home,  my  child,  so 
long  as  you  and  your  mother  are  with  me ;  but 
it  is  hard  for  an  old  man  to  see  the  last  of  his 
possessions  in  the  hands  of  strangers." 

"  I  am  one  of  your  possessions,  father.  Would 
you  not  rather  relinquish  this  place  to  Clyde 
Stafford  than  give  me  away  to  him  ? " 

"A  thousand  times  rather,  Tamson.  I  could 
not  bear  to  see  you  his  wife." 

"  Yet  he  may  count  his  wealth  by  millions. 
He  says  he  is  sure  of  it." 


Eagle  Point.  7 

"Ill-gotten  gains,  sure  to  bring  a  curse  to  all 
who  share  in  them.  I  do  not  envy  him,  let  come 
what  will  to  me.  If  I  was  younger  I  should  not 
mind  it  so  much;  hut  I  am  old  and  broken.  I 
have  no  courage  to  begin  over  again.  When  a 
man  has  counted  three-score  years  and  ten,  he  is 
ready  to  be  laid  on  the  shelf.  I  never  thought 
to  come  to  this.  If  I  had  dreamed  of  such  mis- 
fortune, I  would  have  lived  alone  to  the  day  of 
my  death." 

"  Would  you  have  been  happier,  father  \ " 

"  No,  my  child ;  but  I  should  not  have  made 
others  unhappy.  Your  mother  has  found  this 
place  dreary  and  lonely.  What  will  she  do 
when  we  are  forced  to  leave  it  for  one  less 
desirable  ?  And  you,  Tamson  ?  I  think  of  you." 

"Never  mind  me,  father.  Give  me  time  to 
look  the  situation  fairly  in  the  face,  and  you 
will  have  no  reason  to  pity  me.  We  shall  do 
very  well.  I  am  sure  of  that.  We  cannot  ex- 
pect mother  to  look  at  things  as  we  do,  but  we 
can  make  her  comfortable ;  and  I  have  some- 
times thought  that  a  great  emergency  would 
develop  unlooked-for  strength  in  her. 

"  In  any  event,  Cousin  Prudence  will  teach 
me  economy,  and  we  have  plenty  for  all  present 
needs.  We  can  remain  here  a  year  longer,  and 
in  that  time  something  may  transpire  for  our 
advantage." 


8  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  We  must  give  up  the  place,  Tamson.  There 
is  no  other  way;  and  if  I  must  leave  it,  the 
sooner  I  go  the  better.  I  would  go  to-morrow 
if  I  could.  This  has  been  'The  Brenner  Place ' 
for  more  than  a  hundred  years,  and  I  hoped 
it  would  be  kept  in  the  family  for  another 
hundred,  but  everything  has  gone  against 


me." 


"  Not  everything,  father.  You  have  not  lost 
faith  in  God  ! " 

rt  Not  for  long  at  a  time ;  but  this  last  blow 
has  nearly  crushed  me.  The  mortgage  here  has 
always  troubled  me,  although  I  hoped  to  clear 
it.  Now  we  have  fallen  into  the  toils  of  a  man 
who  will  show  no  mercy,  but  will  take  pleasure 
in  humiliating  us.  I  would  not  have  believed 
Stafford  to  be  so  vindictive.  His  friends  claim 
that  he  is  generous  and  kind-hearted,  ready  to 
do  his  part  in  contributing  to  the  best  interests 
of  the  town.  He  must  be  very  angry.  Did  you 
give  him  any  reason  for  rejecting  him  ? " 

"  I  told  him  I  did  not  love  him,  and  when  he 
asked  me  to  take  time  for  consideration,  I  told 
him  nothing  could  change  my  decision.  It  was 
enough  for  me  that  my  heart  had  rejected 
him." 

"  Was  anything  said  of  his  business  ? " 

"  He  spoke  of  it.  He  knows  that  you  were 
opposed  to  his  coming  here,  and  that  you  con- 


Eagle  Point.  9 

demri  his  business.  He  told  me  that,  after  he 
knew  my  decision  was  final.  But  don't  let  us 
talk  of  him,  father.  If  I  am  going  to  Eagle 
Point  it  is  time  for  me  to  be  on  the  way." 

"  Yes,  child,  it  is.  I  wish  I  could  go  with 
you,  but  I  am  not  equal  to  so  long  a  walk ;  and, 
besides,  it  would  hardly  be  right  for  us  both  to 
leave  your  mother.  You  will  tell  her  in  the 
morning." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  will.  By  that  time  I  shall  have 
some  plan  to  submit  to  you,  and  I  am  sure  I 
can  make  mother  see  what  is  best.  Leave  it  all 
to  me,  father,  and  don't  be  unhappy  while  I  am 
away." 

Tamson  Brenner  spoke  cheerfully,  that  she 
might  comfort  her  father,  although  she  felt 
sadly  troubled.  It  was  in  search  of  comfort  and 
counsel  that  she  started  on  the  long  walk  which 
was  to  bring  her  to  the  old  couple  who  dwelt 
alone  on  the  sunny  slope  of  the  mountain. 

Two  miles  as  the  crow  flies,  five  miles  by  the 
carriage  road,  and  three  miles  by  the  summer 
path  through  field  and  forest,  every  rod  of 
which  had  been  familiar  to  her  since  she  was  a 
"  wee  girlie." 

On  this  morning  she  could  choose  her  own 
way,  and  when  she  had  left  her  home  behind 
her  the  sense  of  freedom  and  the  exhilaration  of 
the  clear,  bracing  air  inspired  her  with  hope 


io          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

and  courage.  Whatever  might  come  to  her  in 
the  future,  there  was,  for  this  hour,  a  respite 
from  trouble. 

She  heard  the  chickadees  singing  their  merry 
song,  and  the  blue-jays  screaming  in  the  depths 
of  the  woods.  Life  was  full  and  strong  and 
glad ;  and  by  the  time  she  reached  her  destina- 
tion all  things  seemed  possible  to  her. 

Cousin  Prudence  was  standing  in  the  porch, 
waiting  to  receive  her  and  give  her  hearty 
welcome. 

"I  expected  you,"  said  the  good  woman. 
"I  told  Jacob  when  I  first  looked  out  this 
morning  that  you  would  come  up  to-day. 
Come  in  and  sit  down  in  the  kitchen  while  I 
do  up  my  work." 

"  Let  me  stay  in  the  kitchen  all  day,"  replied 
the  visitor.  "No  other  place  will  suit  me  so 
well.  It  is  the  pleasantest  room  in  the  house." 

"That  is  what  everybody  says,  and  Jacob 
and  I  are  so  used  to  staying  here  when  we  are 
alone,  that  we  feel  more  at  home  here.  Are 
you  tired  ? " 

"  1  was  very  tired  when  I  left  home,  but  I  am 
rested  now.  It  rested  me  just  to  think  of  com- 
ing here  and  having  a  good,  long  talk  with 
you." 

"  Then  we  shall  both  have  a  resting  day ;  for 
the  sight  of  a  bright,  young  face  like  yours, 


Eagle  Point.  1 1 

always    rests   me.     How   is   the   mother    this 
morning  ? " 

"  Complaining  a  little  more  than  usual." 
"And  the  father?" 

"  Troubled  and  discouraged.  Do  you  know  ? " 
"  Yes ;  we  had  company  yesterday,  and  they 
told  us  something  we  couldn't  quite  believe  was 
true.  They  said  Clyde  Stafford  had  bought 
the  mortgage  on  your  father's  place  and  would 
push  his  claim  as  far  as  the  law  would  allow. 
They  said,  too,  that  he  did  it  because  you  re- 
fused to  marry  him,  and  I  said  that  anything 
.was  better  than  your  marrying  such  a  man  as 
he  is." 

"  I  never  had  any  idea  of  marrying  him." 
"I  don't  suppose  you  had,  but  everybody 
thinks  he  wanted  to  marry  you ;  and  if  he  can't 
have  his  own  way  about  things,  he  calculates 
to  punish  the  ones  who  oppose  him.  He  has  a 
good  many  to  punish,  too,  and  the  worst  of  it 
is,  there  are  some  who  will  be  willing  to  help 
him.  Jacob  felt  as  though  he  must  go  right 
down  and  talk  with  your  father  this  morning. 
He  is  taking  care  of  the  chickens,  but  he  will 
be  in  to  see  you  before  long." 

"  Chickens  so  early,  Cousin  Prudence  ? " 
"  Oh,  yes ;  the  earlier  the  better  price  they 
bring ;  and  we  depend  a  good  deal  on  our  eggs 
and  chickens.     When  Jacob  gets  to  work  on 


1 2  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

the  land,  I  look  after  them,  but  now  he  can 
do  it.  We  try  to  make  the  most  of  what  we 
have." 

"  And  you  succeed  admirably.  Father  says 
you  know  how  to  turn  everything  to  good 
account,  and  that  is  jist  what  I  wish  to  learn. 
Our  place,  large  as  it  is,  has  never  given  us  half 
so  much  as  you  get  from  yours.  It  has  been 
ornamental  rather  than  useful.  Now  that  I  have 
begun  to  think  of  it,  it  seems  to  me  we  ought 
to  have  a  good  income  from  our  orchards  and 
fields." 

"  Your  place  used  to  be  called  the  most  pro- 
ductive farm  anywhere  about  here.  Your  great- 
grandfather made  money  on  it,  and  so  did  your 
grandfather.  They  were  counted  rich.  It  didn't 
take  as  much  then  to  make  a  man  rich  as  it  does 
now,  but  they  were  independent  and  able  to 
live  as  well  as  they  wanted  to.  It  was  thought 
a  great  honor,  all  the  country  'round,  to  be  in- 
vited to  visit  at  the  Brenner  place. 

"There  was  a  harvest  festival  every  fall  after 
the  crops  were  gathered.  The  husking  was  done 
then,  and  everybody  was  invited  for  the  whole 
day,  with  plenty  to  eat  and  drink." 

"  From  what  I  have  heard  I  think  there  must 
have  been  more  than  a  plenty  to  drink." 

"  I  presume  there  was,  Tamson ;  but  people 
didn't  understand  about  drinking  liquor  as  they 


Eagle  Point.  13 

do  now.  If  anybody  got  beyond  what  was 
thought  proper,  he  was  put  out  of  sight.  What 
folks  called  hard  drinking  never  was  allowed 
there,  and  your  grandfather  was  one  of  the  first 
to  give  up  liquor  altogether." 

"  How  did  he  make  money  on  his  farm  ?  " 

"In  every  way,  I  was  going  to  say.  He  had 
large  herds  of  cattle,  and  large  flocks  of  sheep, 
and  horses  and  colts.  Then  he  always  kept  a 
great  many  bees,  and  sold  his  honey  at  the  high- 
est market  price.  There  was  plenty  of  white 
clover  and  bass-wood  for  the  bees  to  feed  on, 
and  he  knew  just  how  to  manage  them.  There 
were  turkeys  and  chickens  and  ducks  and  geese, 
all  bringing  in  something  every  year.  Then 
there  was  the  dairy,  where  the  best  of  butter 
and  cheese  was  made." 

"  There  must  have  been  a  great  deal  of  hard 
work  done." 

"There  was,  but  there  was  plenty  of  help 
to  do  it,  so  that  nobody  felt  it  to  be  a  bur- 
den." 

"  I  wish  father  had  stayed  on  the  farm.  It 
would  have  been  better  for  him." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  Tarn  son.  Your 
father  didn't  like  farming.  He  thought  the 
city  was  the  place  for  him,  and  he  made  money 
there.  I  was  sorry  when  he  lost  so  much,  but 
it  better  be  through  somebody  else's  dishonesty 


14          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

than  his  own.  I  suppose  that  discouraged  him  ; 
and  Herbert's  death  coming  so  soon  afterward 
broke  him  down.  But  there,  child;  there's  a 
Providence  in  all  these  things,  and  the  Lord 
knows  what  is  best  for  us,  whether  we  can  see 
it  or  not." 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   BRENNER   PLACE. 

WHEN  Jacob  Hill  came  in  from  caring  for  his 
chickens  he  was  glad  to  see  Tamson ;  more  glad, 
perhaps,  than  he  would  have  been  to  see  her 
father ;  since,  as  he  had  said  that  very  morning, 
he  should  look  to  her  to  retrieve  the  family 
fortunes.  He  had  spent  a  large  part  of  the 
night  in  considering  ways  and  means  for  their 
present  relief;  and,  although  not  sure  of  suc- 
cess, he  believed  he  could  accomplish  it. 

"  If  Luke  Brenner  was  like  his  father  he 
would  go  to  work,  old  as  he  is,  and  teach  Clyde 
Stafford  a  lesson.  Then,  again,  if  he  had  a  wife 
like  his  mother,  she  would  help  him.  As  it  is, 
Tamson  is  their  only  dependence.  She  has 
always  had  everything  done  for  her,  without 
having  to  think  where  the  money  came  from  to 
do  it ;  but  if  I  ain't  mistaken,  she  is  made  of 
the  right  stuff." 

With  this  expression  of  her  husband's  opin- 
ion Cousin  Prudence  fully  agreed ;  and  now 
here  was  the  girl  before  him  eager  for  advice, 
and  ready  to  accept  it  gratefully.  For  a  time, 

(15) 


1 6  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

however,  they  talked  of  chickens  and  the  ex- 
pected profits. 

"  So  far  they  are  all  doing  well,  and  I  don't 
see  why  we  can't  do  well  with  them,"  he  re- 
marked. "  If  I  had  as  good  a  place  for  them 
as  you  have,  I'd  go  in  for  two  or  three  hundred. 
There  is  always  call  for  more  than  can  be  sup- 
plied, and,  if  you  have  good  luck,  they  pay  bet- 
ter than  anything  else  that  needs  no  more  capi- 
tal. You  and  Ann  might  manage  chickens." 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  managing 
them,"  answered  Tarn  son.  "  Now  I  am  obliged 
to  think  of  it,  it  seems  to  me  I  don't  know  how 
to  manage  anything." 

"  You  can  learn,"  was  replied.  "  How  are 
your  strawberry  beds  ?  " 

"  They  ought  to  be  in  good  condition.  Father 
had  them  reset  last  fall,  and  they  have  been 
covered  with  snow  all  winter." 

"  Are  the  plum-trees  all  alive  ?  " 

"They  were  last  year/' 

"  And  the  pear-trees  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  but  last  year  was  not  the  year  for 
many  pears.  There  must  be  a  great  many  this 
year. " 

"  I  don't  suppose  your  father  ever  sold  a 
bushel  of  pears  in  his  life." 

"  I  never  heard  of  any  being  sold." 

"  And  I  don't  suppose  any  apples  have  been 


The  Brenner  Place.  17 

sold  either,  'though  you've  got  the  best  apple 
orchard  I  know  of  Some  folks,  with  your  place, 
would  sell  hundreds  of  dollars  worth  of  fruit 
every  year,  and  have  more  left  then  than  they'd 
know  what  to  do  with.  The  money  might  come 
in  small  sums,  but  it  would  count  just  the  same 
in  the  end." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  about  it  before, 
Cousin  Jacob?  I  never  thought  of  it,  and  now 
we  are  going  to  leave,  it  is  too  late." 

"  You  have  a  year  longer  to  stay,  anyway, 
and  a  great  deal  can  be  done  in  a  year." 

"  But  father  says  he  shall  leave  as  soon  as  he 
can  find  a  house  to  live  in." 

"  He  must  do  no  such  thing.  Stay  where  you 
are  as  long  as  you  can,  and  do  the  best  you  can. 
Has  your  father  any  money  on  hand  ? " 

"  I  don't  know.  He  never  talks  about  his 
money  affairs  any  more  than  he  is  obliged  to. 
Mother  does  not  know  that  the  place  is  mort- 
gaged." 

"  I  don't  see  how  your  father  can  have  much 
money." 

"  I  have  not  asked  him  for  any  this  long  time. 
T  have  a  few  dollars  he  gave  me  at  Christmas, 
but  I  don't  need  to  spend  it  on  myself.  We 
have  plenty  of  everything,  too,  in  the  house,  so 
we  shall  need  very  little  money,  unless  we  have 
the  expense  of  moving." 


1 8  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"You  won't  have  that  this  year,  mark  my 
words,  Tamsoii,  and  be  sure  to  talk  your  father 
into  more  reason.  Stafford  has  money,  and  we 
can't  hinder  his  having  a  brewery  here,  but  he 
can't  control  everybody.  Your  father  can  be 
made  to  see  how  things  really  are.  If  you  have 
to  leave  the  old  Brenner  place — mind  you,  I  don't 
believe  it  will  come  to  that — get  all  you  can  off 
from  it  while  you  stay.  You  ain't  used  to  work, 
but  you  can  learn ;  and  I  want  you  to  show 
Clyde  Stafford  what  you  can  do.  People  won't 
think  any  better  of  him  for  showing  his  spite 
the  way  he  has.  There's  a  good  deal  of  talk 
about  it,  and  all  but  his  special  friends  are  ready 
to  help  you.  If  I  had  the  money  to  take  up  the 
mortgage  your  father  should  have  it,  and  maybe 
I  can  bring  it  'round  before  the  year  is  up.  You 
can  trust  Ann,  can't  you  ? " 

"Yes,  sir;  she  can  be  trusted  to  the  end  of 
the  chapter.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  her,  I  don't 
know  what  we  should  have  done  through 
the  winter.  She  is  devoted  to  mother,  and 
mother  depends  upon  her  more  than  upon  father 


or  me." 


"  Tell  her  just  how  you  are  situated,  and  see 
if  she  does  not  prove  herself  equal  to  the  emer- 
gency. She  seems  to  be  both  strong  and  will- 
ing." 

"  She  is.     She  is  ready  to  do  anything  in  the 


The  Brenner  Place.  19 

house  or  out-of-doors.  She  would  help  me  in 
any  way  possible." 

"  You  have  a  cow? " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  we  have  two  Jersey  cows,  so  we 
have  plenty  of  milk." 

"  And  butter  too  ? " 

"  I  think  father  has  bought  our  butter  through 
the  winter." 

"  You  ought  to  be  selling  butter  instead  of 
buying.  You  and  Ann  must  learn  to  make 
butter." 

Tamson  Brenner  was  accustomed  to  Jacob 
Hill's  plain  manner  of  speaking,  so  that  she  was 
neither  surprised  nor  annoyed  at  his  abrupt 
questions.  She  understood  his  purpose,  and 
said  pleasantly : 

"  You  are  giving  me  some  lessons  in  a  way 
I  shall  remember." 

"  I  am  trying  to  have  you  see  for  yourself 
what  might  be  done  on  the  Brenner  place  to 
earn  money  in  small  ways.  Your  father  made 
his  money  in  what  he  would  call  large  ways, 
and  it  was  all  right,  too,  as  long  as  it  lasted. 
It  ain't  to  be  expected  he  can  change  very  much 
at  his  time  of  life ;  but  if  wife  and  I  had  the 
management  of  the  place,  I  believe  we  could 
clear  it  in  five  years. 

"  You'll  wonder  likely  by  this  time,  if  we  can 
plan  so  well  for  other  folks,  why  we  hain't  got 


2O          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

more  beforehand  for  ourselves.  I  dori't  often 
talk  about  it,  but  it  won't  hurt  anybody  now 
for  you  to  know  there  was  a  black  sheep  in 
my  father's  flock.  Before  we  came  to  Eagle 
Point  we  paid  up  a  heavier  mortgage  than  there 
is  on  the  Brenner  place ;  paid  it,  too,  because 
we  tried  to  help  somebody  who  wouldn't  try  to 
help  himself. 

"  We  run  in  debt  for  all  but  fifty  dollars  on 
this  place,  and  there's  been  a  drain  on  us  other 
folks  hain't  seen  ever  since.  We've  cleared  the 
place,  though,  and  now  we  are  going  to  try  and 
lay  up  something  against  the  time  when  we 
can't  work." 

u  Does  father  know  about  it  ? "  asked  Tarn- 
son. 

"  He  knows  something  about  it,  but  we  never 
talk  about  it.  If  my  wife  wasn't  one  of  the  very 
best  women  in  the  world,  she  would  have  found 
fault  with  the  way  things  have  gone,  instead  of 
helping  me  and  keeping  me  from  being  discour- 


"  Then  there  was  danger  of  your  being  dis- 
couraged, Cousin  Jacob  ? " 

"  There  was,  because  I  never  knew  what  was 
before  me ;  and,  besides,  I  wasn't  always  sure 
what  was  my  duty.  I  wanted  to  do  all  I  ought 
to." 

"And  so  you  did  more  than  you  ought  to." 


The  Brenner  Place.  21 

"  I  don't  know,  Tamson.  I've  wondered  about 
it  a  good  many  times ;  but  you  don't  want  to 
hear  about  other  folks'  troubles,  when  you  are 
looking  for  help  to  carry  your  own." 

"  I  think  it  will  do  me  good  to  know  that  other 
people  have  troubles  they  are  bearing  bravely. 
You  and  Cousin  Prudence  always  seem  so  happy, 
I  supposed  everything  went  right  with  you." 

"  Complaining  would  only  make  the  matter 
worse,  and  no  one  could  help  us.  We  had  to 
bear  it  alone.  It  is  different  with  you.  You 
can  be  helped. 

"There's  good  timber  on  your  father's  place  that 
ought  to  be  cut,  and  a  market  can  be  found  for 
it  near  home.  It  hurts  me  to  think  of  the  place 
going  out  of  the  family.  You  must  save  it." 

"  I  would  try  if  anybody  else  held  the  mort- 
gage, but  I  can  never  ask  a  favor  of  Clyde  Staf- 
ford." 

"  We  won't  ask  any  favors  of  him.  If  the 
mortgage  is  paid,  with  all  back  interest,  he  will 
be  obliged  to  give  up  his  claim.  Anyway,  you  go 
on  just  as  though  you  expected  to  stay  there  a 
hundred  years,  and  see  what  comes.  You've 
got  the  best  part  of  the  town  on  your  side.  If 
Myers  had  lived,  Stafford  never  would  have  got 
hold  of  that  mortgage ;  but  the  heirs  wanted 
their  money,  and  so  sold  to  the  man  who  was 
ready  to  pay  it." 


22  Old  Benches  ivith  New  Props. 

"  Father  says  the  place  is  worth  a  great  deal 
more  than  the  mortgage," 

"  Certainly  it  is,  and  if  well  taken  care  of  it 
will  gain  in  value  every  year.  There  is  a  market 
now  for  everything  that  can  be  raised  on  a  farm. 
I  will  sell  for  you  all  the  butter  you  can  make, 
and  all  the  eggs  and  chickens  you  can  raise. 
Two  Jersey  cows,  well  managed,  ought  to  bring 
you  in  quite  a  nice  little  sum. 

"  You  need  a  good  family  in  the  house  by  the 
spring  instead  of  Armstrong.  He  is  a  lazy, 
shiftless  fellow ;  and  if  he  don't  steal  everything 
he  can  lay  his  hands  on,  it  is  because  he  is  afraid 
of  the  laWo  I  hear  he  is  going  to  work  in  the 
brewery,  and  that  will  finish  him.  I  wish  you 
would  persuade  your  father  to  send  him  adrift." 

"  If  he  goes,  there  must  be  some  one  to  take 
his  place.  Father  depends  on  him  to  do  the 
work  at  the  barn  and  prepare  wood  for  the  fires." 

"  Some  one  else  can  do  that.  I  will  find  a 
man  you  can  depend  on ;  one  that  will  have 
some  interest  in  the  farm  too." 

"  I  wish  you  would  talk  with  father,  Cousin 
Jacob ;  I  know  he  would  be  glad  of  your  advice." 

"  He  shall  have  it,  if  I  think  he  will  take  it 
right ;  but  advice  is  something  most  folks  don't 
want." 

"  It  is  what  I  want.  I  came  up  here  for  ad- 
vice. I  wish  you  to  tell  me  what  to  do  and  how 


The  Brenner  Place.  23 

to  do  it.  If  I  could  only  have  you  and  Cousin 
Prudence  with  me  for  a  week  or  two,  it  seems  as 
though  Imight  gain  knowledge  and  courage  too." 
"  Prudence  might  go  down  and  stay  with  you 
a  week.  I  don't  know  anything  to  hinder ;  and 
in  that  time  she  could  see  how  thiners  ought  to 

o  o 

go,  if  there  wouldn't  anybody  think  she  was 
meddling." 

"  Everybody  \vould  be  thankful  to  have  her 
there,  and  thankful  for  her  meddling  too.  Ann 
thinks  Cousin  Prudence  is  a  wonderful  woman, 
and  will  be  glad  of  any  advice  from  her.  Ann 
was  used  to  milking  and  helping  about  cheese- 
making,  before  she  came  to  this  country.  She 
knew  more  about  work  out-of-doors  than  in  the 
house." 

"  So  much  the  better  for  you,  if  you  are  ready 
to  undertake  to  make  the  farm  pay.  She  will 
be  more  willing  to  help  you  out-of-doors." 

"  I  am  willing  to  undertake  anything  that  is 
honest  and  will  help  my  father  and  mother.  It 
will  kill  father  if  he  has  to  leave  the  old  place." 

"  He  will  not  leave  it.  You  are  going  to 
keep  it  for  him.  The  more  I  think  of  it,  the 
surer  I  am.  But  you  must  begin  the  work 
right  away.  You  must  set  your  hens  early." 

As  this  was  said,  Tamson  Brenner  laughed 
heartily,  yet  none  the  less  did  she  take  the  les- 
son to  heart. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

MKS.   BYAM. 

"  COUSIN  PRUDENCE,  you  are  to  have  another 
visitor,"  said  Tamson  Brenner,  a  little  before 
noon.  "  There  is  a  woman  coming  by  the  big 
pines." 

"  It  is  Mrs.  Byam.,"  replied  Cousin  Prudence, 
after  looking  for  a  moment  at  the  slightly  stoop- 
ing figure  of  a  woman  making  her  way  over  the 
snow.  "  It  is  Mrs.  Byam,  and  if  I  was  alone  I 
should  be  very  glad  to  see  her." 

"  Be  glad  now.  I  have  made  sure  of  the  ad- 
vice for  which  I  came,  and  I  will  try  not  to 
spoil  either  your  visit  or  mine.  I  have  heard 
father  speak  of  her  as  being  a  bright,  intelligent 
woman,  who  has  had  a  hard  time  in  life,  and  I 
should  like  to  be  better  acquainted  with  her 
than  I  am." 

"She  is  all  your  father  says,  and  more  too. 
She  is  a  good  woman,  and  your  father  hasn't  a 
better  friend  in  town  than  she  is.  He  helped 
her  years  ago,  and  she  ain't  one  to  forget  a 
favor.  He  helped  her  boy,  as  she  always  calls 
(24) 


Mfs.   J3yam.  2  5 

Thaddeus  Byam,  her  grandson,  and  she  loves 
that  boy  a  good  deal  better  than  she  loves  her- 
self." 

"  He  has  invented  some  machinery  that  prom- 
ises to  be  very  useful." 

"  Yes ;  he  is  the  one,  and  folks  say  he  will 
make  his  fortune  out  of  the  invention.  I  don't 
see  how  he  ever  kept  still  long  enough  to  invent 
anything;  but  he  is  a  smart  man,  and  as  good  to 
his  grandmother  as  he  can  be.  She  don't  want 
for  anything  he  can  get  for  her.  But  there  she 
is,"  and  Mrs.  Hill  hastened  to  welcome  her  old 
friend. 

"  I  declare  I'm  tired,"  said  this  friend,  grasp- 
ing cordially  the  hand  extended  to  her.  "  It 
must  be  I  ain't  quite  so  spry  as  I  used  to  be ; 
but  I  heard  some  news  this  morning,  and  I 
couldn't  rest  till  I'd  been  up  here  and  talked  it 
over  with  you.  They  say  Clyde  Stafford  has 
bought  the  mortgage  on  the  Brenner  place  and 
foreclosed  on  it.  Do  you  suppose  that  is  really 
so?" 

"  I  suppose  it  is.  Tamson  is  here,  and  she 
says  it  is  so." 

"  Well,  now,  I  never.  If  she  says  so,  there 
can't  be  any  mistake  about  it.  I  was  in  hopes 
there  was.  If  I'd  known  she  was  here  I  wouldn't 
spoken  out  so  loud.  But  it's  my  way  to  say 
the  first  thing  that  comes  into  my  mind,  and  be 


26  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

earnest  about  it  too.  I  was  in  a  hurry  to  get 
here  on  that  account." 

Mrs.  By  am  was  ushered  into  the  kitchen, 
where  she  greeted  Tamson  Brenner  cordially, 
although  it  was  easy  to  see  that  she  was  some- 
what embarrassed  at  the  meeting. 

Mr.  Hill  came  in  soon  after,  when  they  be- 
gan talking  of  ventures  in  farming  and  compar- 
ing experiences,  each  being  interested  in  what- 
ever promised  larger  returns  or  increased  profits. 

"  Our  summer  visitors  leave  a  good  deal  of 
money  behind  them,  and  if  they  were  all  of  the 
right  sort  we  should  be  better  off  for  their  com- 
ing. But  there  has  been  one  family  here  I  wish 
had  gone  somewhere  else.  I  wish  that  Stafford 
set  had  never  heard  of  our  town,  and  if  a  good 
many  others  that  are  all  took  up  with  them  now 
don't  wish  so  before  they  are  ten  years  older,  I 
am  mistaken. 

"  Some  of  our  farmers  are  so  foolish  they  ex- 
pect to  make  heaps  of  money  raising  barley ; 
and  it's  likely  there'll  be  plenty  of  barley-fields 
and  plenty  of  beer-drinkers  too.  They'll  find 
there  are  two  sides  to  that  story. 

"  It  stirs  me  up  so,  I  can't  hardly  keep  still 
about  it,  when  I  meet  any  of  the  men  that 
favored  Stafford's  coming  here.  Josiah  Black 
will  live  to  rue  the  day  when  he  sold  land  to 
build  a  brewery  on.  He  has  got  four  boys,  and 


Mrs.  By  am.  27 

there's  no  danger  but  what  they'll  learn  to  drink 
beer." 

"  There's  no  danger  but  things  will  be  bad 
enough,"  responded  Jacob  Hill.  "  I've  said  and 
done  all  I  could  to  prevent  our  town  being  so 
cursed ;  and  now  it's  settled  to  come,  I'm  going 
to  fight  it  tooth  and  nail. 

"  Our  folks  don't  know  much  about  beer,  and 
Stafford  has  a  smooth  tongue.  Then  there  are 
a  good  many  mortgaged  farms  in  town,  and 
their  owners  are  ready  to  jump  at  anything  that 
promises  to  bring  in  money." 

"  It's  my  opinion,  Mr.  Hill,  that  when  Stafford 
gets  fairly  settled  here  he'll  calculate  to  rule  the 
town." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  Mrs.  Byam,  and  he'll  have 
a  good  deal  of  influence.  He  will  employ  a  good 
many  hands,  and  they  will  all  be  expected  to 
work  for  his  interests.  Of  course,  Clyde  Staf- 
ford's father  backs  him  up.  That  is  understood ; 
and  if  the  son  is  as  unprincipled  as  the  father, 
there's  no  telling  the  amount  of  mischief  that 
may  be  done." 

Some  further  criticisms  were  made  in  regard 
to  this  capitalist,  and  then  other  interests  en- 
grossed attention. 

Mrs.  Byam's  grandson  provided  for  her  so 
generously  that  she  had  no  need  to  calculate  or 
economize ;  yet,  as  she  said,  it  was  born  in  her 


28          Old  Benches  ^v^th  New  Props. 

to  make  everything  count  for  all  it  was  worth. 
So  she  had  her  bees  and  chickens,  the  care  of 
which  gave  her  real  pleasure,  while  the  profits 
gave  her  a  feeling  of  independence. 

She  and  Jacob  Hill  often  consulted  together 
about  their  small  industries,  and  on  this  occa- 
sion some  new  plans  were  discussed ;  to  all  of 
which  Tamson  Brenner  listened  eagerly,  asking 
now  and  then  a  question  that  she  might  better 
apply  the  knowledge  thus  gained. 

It  was  still  early  when  she  left  Eagle  Point, 
so  there  was  ample  time  for  Mrs.  By  am  to 
express  the  regret  and  indignation  which 
had  been  gathering  force  since  she  heard  of 
the  new  misfortune  which  had  befallen  Mr. 
Brenner. 

"  I  tell  you,  I  heard  the  clock  strike  every 
hour  last  night,"  she  exclaimed,  when  Tamson 
had  gone.  "  I  was  planning  how  I  could  help 
them  folks,  and  I  guess  I  can  fetch  it  'round. 
There's  Thad  now  expecting  to  make  a  good 
deal  of  money  right  off,  and  when  he  comes 
home  I'm  meaning  to  lay  the  case  before  him." 

"  Is  he  coming  home  this  summer  ? " 

"  That's  what  he  wrote  in  his  last  letter.  He 
said  he  was  coming  to  stay  a  month  or  two,  and 
be  a  boy  again.  I  expect,  maybe,  he's  tired  of 
so  much  iron  work;  planning  all  the  time,  and 
maybe  worrying  over  his  new  machine." 


Mrs.  Byam.  29 

"He  has  turned  out  well.  You  must  feel 
paid  for  all  you  ever  did  for  him." 

"  I  do ;  but  there  was  one  spell  when  I  didn't 
know  but  what  I  was  making  trouble  for  my- 
self; but  the  Lord  interposed  in  my  behalf. 
He  sent  somebody  to  help  me,  and  there  ain't  a 
better  boy  anywhere  than  mine  is,  if  I  do  say 
it.  He  feels  bad  to  have  a  brewery  here.  He 
says  it's  the  worst  thing  that  ever  happened  to 
the  town." 

"  So  Jacob  says ;  and  he  says  it  is  just  put- 
ting a  mortgage  on  all  the  boys  and  girls,  be- 
sides a  good  many  grown  folks." 

"It  is  that,  and  the  mortgages  are  going  to 
hold,  too,  for  all  eternity.  Thad  says  the  greatest 
trouble  with  men  he  has  worked  with  comes 
from  their  drinking  so  much  beer. 

"It's  a  shame  for  Yankees  to  take  up  with 
the  stuff.  I  believe  it's  worse  than  the  New 
England  rum  everybody  used  to  drink;  that 
kept  half  the  men  poor  that  drank  it,  and  made 
the  men  rich  that  sold  it." 

Mrs.  Byam  had  seen  much  of  this  poverty. 
She  could  talk  by  the  hour  of  families  she  had 
known  in  which  fathers,  husbands,  and  brothers 
had  fallen  victims  to  the  demon  of  alcohol. 
There  had  been  dark  days  when  she  waited  in 
her  lonely  home,  shivering  with  cold  and 
hunger,  while  the  money  which  should  have 


30          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

purchased  for  her  food  and  clothing  went  to 
swell  the  rum-seller's  gains. 

As  she  talked  she  seemed  to  live  over  again 
the  days  so  fraught  with  anxious  forebodings ; 
yet  over  and  above  all  was  her  sympathy  and 
anxiety  for  Luke  Brenner. 

Of  his  wife  she  knew  little,  except  that  every- 
body wondered  a  bachelor  of  fifty  should  marry 
a  young  girl  of  twenty.  That  he  loved  her,  no 
one  who  saw  them  together  could  for  a  moment 
doubt.  He  denied  her  nothing  it  was  in  his 
power  to  grant.  So  far  as  possible  he  had 
shielded  her  from  every  care,  and  now  that  he 
was  a  poor  man,  it  was  of  his  wife  and  daughter 
he  thought  rather  than  of  himself. 

He  might  have  depended  upon  his  son  had 
the  boy  lived,  but  it  was  only  within  a  few 
days  that  the  possibility  of  finding  help  in 
Tamson  had  suggested  itself  to  him.  That  she 
was  unlike  her  mother  he  had  always  known, 
although  there  had  been  little  in  her  life  to  de- 
velop marked  characteristics. 

He  was  standing  by  a  window  looking 
toward  Eagle  Point,  when  he  saw  her  in  the 
distance,  walking  rapidly,  as  if  in  haste  to  reach 
home.  He  met  her  at  the  door,  when,  after  an 
exchange  of  affectionate  greetings,  she  asked  : 

"  Do  you  know  how  to  manage  bees  ? " 

"  I  used  to  know,"  he  replied.     "  When  I  was 


Mrs.  By  am.  31 

a  boy  I  could  always  do  anything  I  pleased  with 
bees.  They  never  stung  ine.  This  was  a  good 
place  for  bees,  too,  with  so  many  linden  trees." 

"The  lindens  are  here  now,  father." 

"  Yes ;  and  there  are  some  hives  of  bees,  but 
I  never  heard  of  any  honey  being  taken  from 
them  last  year." 

"It  may  have  been  taken  without  your 
knowledge." 

This  remark  led  to  a  long  conversation,  in 
which  Tarn  son  Brenner  repeated  the  advice  and 
suggestions  of  her  cousins.  She  succeeded  also 
in  inspiring  her  father  with  something  of  her 
own  brave  spirit. 

"  I  feel  as  though  I  had  lived  ten  years  since 
I  went  from  home  this  morning,  and  if  you  will 
stay  here  as  long  as  you  can,  I  will  do  every- 
thing in  my  power  to  help  redeem  the  place," 
she  said  brightly. 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  wish,"  answered  her 
father.  "  If  your  mother  could  be  made  happy, 
I  don't  know  but  I  could  begin  over  again,  old 
as  I  am." 

"  Old,  father !  You  are  not  old  to  me.  To- 
morrow morning  I  will  tell  mother  all  about  it, 
and  then  we  will  set  to  work." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MISS   TAMSON   AND    ANN. 

"Miss  TAMSON,  will  you  please  come  into 
the  kitchen  when  you  can  spare  time,"  said 
Ann,  the  one  servant  of  the  Brenner  family. 
"  There's  something  wrong  at  the  barn  every 
day,  and  I  want  a  talk  with  you  about  it." 

"  I  will  go  now,"  was  replied,  and  the  young 
girl  followed  her  companion  into  the  kitchen, 
where,  after  both  were  seated,  she  asked : 

"  What  is  wrong  at  the  barn  ? " 

"  Well,  miss,  there's  been  cackling,  and  I've 
thought  all  along  there  must  be  eggs,  but  never 
a  one  did  I  get  till  to-day.  The  Armstrong  man 
said  the  hens  cackled  for  fun ;  but  to-day  I  kept 
watch,  and  I've  fifteen  nice  fresh  eggs,  and  he'll 
get  never  a  one.  He's  a  thief,  Miss  Tamson. 
I've  thought  it  a  long  time,  and  now  I  know. 
He  sold  honey  last  fall,  and  where  would  he  get 
it  but  in  the  garden  ? " 

"  Are  you  sure  he  sold  honey  ? " 

"  I  am  that,  because  Dolf  Turner  told  me,  and 

he  wouldn't  tell  a  lie  any  sooner  than  the  master 

would.     Poor  as  his  mother  is,  he  wouldn't  take 

a  pin  he  hadn't  a  right  to.    If  the  master  would 

(32) 


Miss   Tamson  and  Ann.  33 

send  that  Armstrong  man  away  from  the  house 
by  the  spring,  we'd  have  eggs  and  butter  in 
plenty.  We  get  not  enough  milk  from  the  cows. 
Too  much  goes  for  the  milking." 

"  But  Mr.  Armstrong  has  a  right  to  part  of 
the  milk." 

"  Has  he  a  right  to  the  biggest  half,  Miss 
Tamson  ? " 

"I  think  not." 

"Then  he  takes  more  than  his  right.  Let 
him  go,  and  let  me  take  care  of  the  barn.  I  can 
do  it,  and  don't  be  offended,  Miss  Tamson.  Dolf 
says  the  master  is  in  trouble,  and  must  give  up 
this  place  to  the  beer  man  that's  coming." 

"  The  beer  man  has  a  claim  on  it,  but  he  can- 
not take  it  for  a  year,  and  in  that  time  I  hope 
to  earn  so  much  money  that  we  can  manage  to 
keep  it.  Cousin  Jacob  thinks  you  and  I  to- 
gether might  raise  some  chickens  for  market." 

"  We  can,  Miss  Tamson.  I  had  chickens  at 
home,  and  some  hens  are  ready  now  to  set  to 
hatching." 

"  Do  you  know  how  to  manage  them  ?  " 

"I  do,  but  I  can't  manage  with  Mr.  Arm- 
strong governing  the  barn.  I  can  milk  and  care 
for  the  cows ;  and  if  I  need  help,  Dolf  will  help 
me  for  anything  you  will  give  him  to  eat. 
There's  little  enough  goes  into  his  mother's 
poor  rooms. 


34          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"Oh,  Miss  Tamson,  "let  me  help  you  in  it  all. 
I've  never  a  friend  I  love  better  than  the  master 
and  mistress,  and  your  own  self;  and  I'd  be 
gladder  to  help  you  than  do  anything  else. 
Give  me  no  wages  for  a  year,  and  take  what 
I've  saved  toward  paying  the  debt." 

"  I  don't  think  we  shall  be  driven  to  that, 
Ann,  although  I  thank  you  a  thousand  times 
for  your  kindness.  But  if  we  can  plan  and 
work  together,  I  believe  we  can  accomplish 
something  in  the  way  of  earning  money." 

"  We  can  ;  I  am  sure  of  it,"  said  the  energetic 
girl,  whose  ability  and  devotion  Tamson  Bren- 
ner now  appreciated  as  never  before. 

She  was  quick  to  comprehend  the  situation  ; 
suggesting  one  plan  after  another  for  making  a 
profit  from  the  farm,  and  placing  them  in  so 
farvorable  a  light  that  they  seemed  not  only  wise 
but  feasible. 

It  was  long  past  midnight  when  the  two 
separated,  yet  Tamson  was  in  the  kitchen  early 
the  next  morning.  Early  as  it  was,  however, 
Ann  had  milked  the  cows,  and  was  then  at 
work  in  the  hen-house,  which  lately  had  been 
unoccupied,  and  was  in  no  condition  to  be  used. 

"  We'll  be  setting  the  hens  now  as  fast  as  they 
are  ready;  and  when  the  snow  is  off  the  ground, 
and  we're  sowing  and  planting,  we'll  have  them 
all  in  here,  where  they'll  do  no  mischief,"  she 


Miss   Tamson-  and  Ann.  35 

exclaimed  triumphantly.  "  Mr.  Armstrong  must 
let  me  manage  it  all  my  own  way  or  I  can't  do 
anything,"  she  added  presently. 

"  I  will  attend  to  that,"  was  replied.  "  Mr. 
Armstrong  shall  not  interfere." 

As  Mrs.  Brenner  did  not  appear  at  break- 
fast her  daughter  went  to  her  room,  and  with- 
out any  unnecessary  words  told  her  of  the  mort- 
gage and  its  foreclosure. 

"  Father  and  I  don't  mind  it  so  much,  but  we 
are  very  sorry  for  you,"  said  Tamson,  holding  the 
small  white  hands,  and  pressing  her  lips  to  the 
fair  white  forehead  of  her  mother.  "  We  will 
do  everything  we  can  for  you,  and  you  shall 
not  miss  a  single  comfort  we  can  provide.  You 
will  always  be  first  with  us." 

"  I  knew  there  was  something  your  father 
was  keeping  from  me,"  Mrs.  Brenner  answered. 
"  I  knew  we  were  no  longer  rich,  and  I  have 
thought  it  all  over  many  times,  but  I  never 
thought  we  should  be  obliged  to  give  up  this 
place.  It  is  dreary  and  lonely  here,but  it  would 
about  kill  your  father  if  he  had  to  leave  it,  'though 
he  never  talks  to  me  about  his  business." 

"  That  is  because  he  is  so  unwilling  to  trouble 
you,  mother.  He  says  if  he  had  known  he 
should  ever  be  a  poor  man,  he  would  have  lived 
alone  to  the  end  of  his  life  rather  than  ask  you 
to  share  his  poverty." 


36  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  And  you,  Tamson,  how  will  you  bear  pov- 
erty ? " 

"  I  don't  intend  to  bear  poverty.  Ann  and 
I  intend  to  provide  for  the  family  so  generously 
that  we  shall  forget  we  are  poor." 

"  You  and  Ann  provide  for  the  family  !  What 
can  you  two  do  ?  " 

For  answer  Tamson  told  their  plans,  in  which, 
much  to  her  surprise,  her  mother  seemed  inter- 
ested. 

"  I  thank  you  for  telling  me  just  how  we  are 
situated,"  said  Mrs.  Brenner  after  a  long  silence. 
"  I  am  not  used  to  work,  but  I  shall  try  not  to 
be  a  burden.  Ask  your  father  to  come  to  me." 

What  transpired  during  that  interview  was 
not  reported,  but  when,  an  hour  later,  Mr.  Bren- 
ner went  into  the  kitchen  where  his  daughter 
was  at  work  while  Ann  was  busy  elsewhere,  he 
no  longer  appeared  like  an  old  man. 

"  It  is  all  right,  and  your  mother  is  a  most 
noble  woman,"  he  said  confidently.  "  I  believe 
we  can  do  wonders  with  the  old  farm  yet." 

"  Armstrong  must  go,"  responded  Tamson. 

"  He  shall.  I  ought  to  have  seen  that  some- 
thing was  wrong,  but  I  have  been  too  discour- 
aged to  look  after  my  affairs  as  I  should.  Now 
I  am  myself  again,  and  if  we  can  do  nothing 
more,  we  can  live  comfortably  on  the  old  place 
for  another  year." 


Miss   Tamson  and  Ann.  37 

"  And  for  many  years  to  come,  father.  Ann 
and  I  expect  to  accomplish  wonders.  Cousin 
Prudence  is  coming  to  teach  us  how  to  make  but- 
ter. Ann  brought  in  twice  as  much  milk  this 
morning  as  Armstrong  brings,  and  she  is  out 
now  looking  for  eggs.  We  intend  to  make  the 
most  of  our  resources,  and,  if  possible,  save  this 
dear  old  place  from  the  clutches  of  a  brewer." 

"  You  did  not  tell  your  mother  that  Stafford 
had  asked  you  to  be  his  wife  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  I  have  told  only  you  of  that,  although 
others  seem  to  know  it." 

• 

"  I  told  your  mother,  and  she  spat-ted  her  lit- 
tle hands,  just  as  she  always  does  when  she  is 
very  much  pleased.  She  said  she  would  rather 
live  on  bread  and  water  the  rest  of  her  life  than 
have  you  accept  him." 

"  She  will  be  spared  the  alternative." 

"  I  think  she  will,  my  daughter.  Ann  is  a 
treasure  in  this  exigency." 

"  She  is.  I  knew  she  was  devoted  to  us,  but 
after  our  talk  last  evening  I  shall  never  think 
of  her  again  as  a  servant.  In  future  she  is  iny 
friend." 

At  that  moment  Ann  came  in  from  the  barn 
displaying  the  eggs  she  had  found,  and  report- 
ing that  Armstrong  had  "  sneaked  into  the  back 
barn  door,  and  then  sneaked  out  again,"  as  soon 
as  he  saw  her  ;  adding  : 


38  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  He  was  there  for  no  good." 

Before  night  he  was  notified  that  his  services 
were  no  longer  desired,  and  that  he  must  vacate 
the  house  by  the  spring,  at  the  expiration  of 
the  year  for  which  it  had  been  leased  to  him. 
He  asked  no  questions,  and  no  reasons  were 
given  for  his  dismissal.  That  a  new  order  of 
things  had  been  inaugurated,  he  knew  from  the 
fact  that  Ann  was  keeping  watch  and  ward 
over  the  barn,  and  judged  it  best  to  beat  a  hasty 
retreat  before  any  investigation  was  made. 

"  Do  you  suppose  Mrs.  Turner  would  like  to 
live  there  ? "  asked  Tamson  Brenner,  when  told 
by  Ann  that  the  windows  were  wide  open  and 
the  key  left  in  the  door. 

"  She'd  think  she  was  near  Heaven  to  live  in 
such  a  grand  place,  but  she  never  could  pay  the 
rent  except  in  work,"  was  replied.  "  She  and 
Dolf  could  do  almost  everything  for  us ;  and 
there'll  be  plenty  of  work  to  be  done,  with  the 
strawberries  and  other  berries,  and  the  currants 
and  plums  and  pears.  We  must  save  every  one, 
and  I'll  find  a  way  to  sell  them  all.  Dolf  and 
I  will  just  take  them  'round  in  baskets. 

"  Oh,  Miss  Tamson,  I'll  be  so  happy  this  year, 
I  can't  tell.  I'm  sure  we'll  do  what  we  plan. 
I'll  have  two  hens  on  eggs  in  the  hen-house  to- 
night, and  two  more  to-morrow.  We'll  have  fine 
chickens  in  season  for  the  hotel." 


Miss   Tamson  and  Ann.  39 

Later  this  was  repeated  to  Mrs.  Brenner,  who 
asked  various  questions ;  and  while  smiling  at 
the  enthusiasm  pervading  the  household,  said 
she  must  really  find  some  way  to  aid  in  the 
good  work. 

Her  husband  regarded  her  with  fond  admira- 
tion ;  her  daughter  petted  and  encouraged  her, 
telling  her  there  would  be  some  dainty  work, 
which  no  one  else  could  do  so  well  as  she. 

When  Cousin  Prudence  came  down  from  Eagle 
Point  to  lend  the  promised  assistance,  she  found 
everything  so  well  planned  that  she  had  only 
to  assent  to  what  others  had  proposed. 

"  The  credit  is  all  yours,"  said  Tamson,  in 
reply  to  some  praise  bestowed  upon  herself. 
"  I  never  should  have  thought  it  possible  even  to 
plan  so  much,  if  you  and  Cousin  Jacob  had  not 
suggested  it.  If  I  was  a  man,  I  think  I  could 
go  on  and  pay  the  mortgage.  I  believe  I  can 
see  how  it  might  be  done." 


CHAPTER  V. 

NEW  TENANTS. 

MRS.  TURNER  and  Dolf — who,  if  he  ever  had 
any  claim  to  a  more  extended  name  had  long 
since  forgotten  it — moved  into  the  cottage  by 
the  spring;  too  much  surprised  at  their  good 
fortune  to  express  half  the  gratitude  they  felt. 

They  were  to  pay  the  rent  in  work ;  and  be- 
fore a  week  had  passed  Dolf  proved  himself 
fully  capable  of  doing  all  that  would  be  re- 
quired of  him,  while  his  mother  was  ready  to 
give  assistance  wherever  it  was  desired. 

Jacob  Hill  came  down  from  Eagle  Point, 
when  his  cousin  made  a  full  statement  of  all 
indebtedness  and  embarrassments,  adding : 

"  If  I  had  time,  I  really  believe  I  could  clear 
up  the  whole  thing, 'old  as  I  am.  My  failure  in 
business  was  so  unexpected  that  it  quite  para- 
lyzed me ;  but  Tamson's  bravery  makes  me 
ashamed  to  remain  idle  and  leave  the  work  for 
her.  You  see,  Jacob,  I  am  seventy  years  old, 
and  I  always  counted  on  having  enough  at  that 
age  to  live  on  the  income  of  my  property." 


New   Tenants.  4 1 

"  The  Lord  had  other  plans  for  you,  Luke, 
and  you  must  make  up  your  mind  for  ten  years 
more  of  work.  The  work  will  do  you  good  too. 
I  don't  know  exactly  how  your  place  is  to  be 
taken  out  of  Stafford's  hands,  but  I  believe  it 
will  be  done.  I  only  wish  I  was  as  sure  of  get- 
ting  the  town  out  of  his  clutches.  I  suppose  he 
must  have  his  run,  and  may  the  Lord  forgive 
me,  if  it  is  wrong  to  wish  that  he  may  lose  every 
dollar  he  invests  here.  The  prospect  is  that  we 
shall  have  an  early  spring,  so  his  workmen  will 
soon  be  here." 

"  Where  are  they  all  to  be  fed  and  lodged  ? " 

"  Somewhere  in  the  village,  1  suppose.  Staf- 
ford is  to  build  a  row  of  houses  on  South  Street 
for  the  men  who  are  to  work  in  his  brewery. 
Then  he  plans  to  build  a  large  block  for  stores 
and  groggeries.  I  added  the  groggeries,  but 
you  may  be  sure  there  will  be  at  least  one 
saloon." 

"  I  presume  he  calculates  on  having  this  place 
for  his  home." 

"  I  presume  he  does,  Luke,  but  I  think  he  will 
find  himself  greatly  mistaken.  He  is  not  the 
only  man  who  can  make  a  change  in  his  pros- 
pects during  the  year.  Some  who  favored  his 
coming  are  sorry  for  it  already,  and  it  wouldn't 
be  strange  if,  when  we  have  our  next  town 
meeting,  there  should  be  some  stringent  meas- 


42  Old  Benches  ivith  New  Props. 

ures  urged  to  prevent  the  sale  of  liquor  among 


us." 


"We  shall  have  a  good  many  new  voters 
among  us  by  that  time,  Jacob." 

"  I  know  it ;  and  if  they  work  for  Stafford 
they  will  be  pretty  sure  to  vote  for  his  interest ; 
but  I  hope  our  own  townspeople  will  vote 
against  him." 

"  You  may  trust  him  for  knowing  how  to  in- 
crease the  number  of  votes  necessary  for  the 
protection  of  his  business.  The  liquor  league 
counts  all  its  members  brothers,  and  if  one  gives 
the  signal  of  distress,  there  is  a  rush  to  his  as- 
sistance. It  is  an  object  to  establish_the  nefari- 
ous business  in  new  places,  and,  once  establish- 
ed, it  is  likely  to  remain. 

"  If  I  was  ready  to  make  money,  regardless 
of  every  other  consideration,  I  would  go  into 
the  liquor  business.  It  always  yields  a  large 
return  for  the  investment,  and  the  profits  can  be 
indefinitely  increased  by  processes  every  liquor- 
dealer  understands.  Of  course  I  would  starve 
rather  than  sell  liquor ;  but  in  the  present  rush 
for  wealth,  it  does  not  seem  strange  to  me  that 
many  men,  without  either  religious  or  moral 
principle,  should  engage  in  the  business." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  a  man  who  professes 
to  be  a  Christian,  and  still  claims  that  there  is 
no  wrong  in  the  use  of  liquor  ? " 


New   Tenants.  43 

"  Well,  Cousin  Jacob,  it  is  not  for  me  to  say 
that  man  is  not  a  Christian,  but  I  will  say  that 
either  his  judgment  is  warped  by  self-interest, 
or  his  knowledge  of  what  constitutes  a  Chris- 
tian's duty  is  very  limited. 

"  I  knew  a  man  in  the  city,  a  member  of  our 
church,  who  always  spoke  of  a  drunkard  as  de- 
serving the  utmost  scorn,  because  so  deficient  in 
self-control;  and  yet,  whenever  the  subject  of 
temperance  was  under  discussion,  he  insisted 
that  the  moderate  use  of  alcoholic  stimulants  is 
often  conducive  to  both  health  and  happiness." 

"  I  suppose  he  was  a  moderate  drinker  him- 
self." 

"  A  very  moderate  drinker.  So  moderate 
that  he  seldom  drinks  so  much  as  a  glass  of 
wine.  But  he  was  interested  in  three  large 
Western  distilleries.  He  furnished  capital,  while 
others  did  the  work  and  were  responsible  to  the 
public." 

"  Was  this  known  to  the  church,  and  is  he 
still  allowed  to  retain  his  standing  ? " 

"  It  was  not  known  for  several  years,  and 
might  never  have  been  known  if  we  had  not 
changed  pastors.  Our  new  pastor  was  a  thor- 
oughgoing, outspoken  temperance  man  ;  and  as 
he  was  going  the  rounds  of  the  parish  he  found 
that  one  man  in  his  congregation  was  a  liquor- 
seller.  The  man  was  not  a  member  of  the 


44          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

church,  but  Mr.  Wain  took  the  liberty  to  remon- 
strate with  him ;  when  he  retorted  by  saying 
he  thought  it  no  worse  to  sell  liquor  than  to 
manufacture  it ;  in  which  Mr.  Wain  agreed  with 
him. 

"  Then  came  his  time  to  denounce  a  church 
member  who  was  a  distiller ;  and,  of  course,  Mr. 
Wain  agreed  with  him  in  that.  The  result  was, 
that  the  distiller  received  a  visit  from  his  pastor, 
and  was  obliged  to  listen  to  some  very  plain 
statements,  which  so  offended  him  that  he 
wished  to  enter  into  other  church  relations. 
There  were  several  meetings  to  consider  his  case, 
and  after  much  discussion  in  regard  to  it,  a  letter 
of  recommendation  was  denied  him.  This  made 
little  difference,  however,  as  he  was  received  to 
the  church  of  his  choice  without  a  letter,  and 
where  he  is  in  no  danger  of  being  censured." 

"  You  would  not  consider  him  a  Christian, 
Luke  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  say  it  is  impossible 
that  he  should  be  a  Christian ;  but  if  all  profess- 
ing Christians  were  like  him  there  would  be  no 
hope  for  our  nation." 

"  Has  he  children  ? " 

"  He  has  two  sons  and  one  daughter." 

"Then  he  is  sure  of  his  punishment,  unless 
they  have  been  better  taught  than  he  would 
teach  them." 


New   Tenants.  45- 

"  They  were  beautiful  children.  His  daughter 
is  of  nearly  the  same  age  as  Tamson,  and  the 
boys  are  older.  It  is  too  soon  to  judge  what 
the  daughter's  life  will  be,  but  the  sons  belong 
to  the  fastest  set  in  the  college  where  they  are. 
It  is  said  they  have  always  drank  liquor  since 
they  were  fifteen  years  old,  and  now  nothing 
but  the  grace  of  God  will  save  them. 

"  Their  father  has  never  denied  them  any- 
thing it  was  in  his  power  to  grant ;  and  as  his 
wealth  is  counted  by  millions,  there  is  no  lack 
of  money.  At  one  time  our  families  were  inti- 
mate, but  when  I  refused  to  endorse  him  as  an 
exemplary  Christian,  the  intercourse  between 
us  ceased." 

"  Such  men  are  poor  friends.  They  distrust 
themselves,  and  so  need  to  be  told  they  are  good 
in  order  to  keep  their  courage  up.  In  the  bot- 
tom of  that  man's  heart,  he  knows  he  has  no 
right  to  be  called  a  Christian. 

"  Time  was  when  even  a  deacon  might  own 
and  run  a  distillery,  and  perhaps  not  know  he 
was  doing  the  devil's  work ;  but  that  time  has 
gone  by.  Now,  these  breweries  have  started 
up  with  this  cursed  German  stuff,  all  in  the  in- 
terest of  temperance,  as  some  say,  and  we  are 
going  to  have  a  chance  to  prove  if  what  they 
say  is  true.  If  we  don't  have  more  drunkards 
in  this  town,  ten  years  from  now,  than  we  ever 


46          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

had  before,  I'll  own  that  I've  lost  some  of  my 
powers  of  calculation.  Armstrong  is  going  to 
work  for  Stafford,  and  I  am  glad  he  has  left 
your  premises.  I  never  had  any  faith  in  his 
honesty.  He  is  just  the  one  to  go  into  a  brew- 
ery." 

"  I  think  he  is,  and  I  have  better  tenants  in 
his  place.  Dolf  Turner  is  a  bright,  intelligent 
boy,  ready  for  any  kind  of  work." 

His  father  was  a  bright  man;  quick  and 
handy  about  everything  he  undertook  to  do. 
But  there  was  bad  blood  behind  him,  and  when 
he  began  drinking  an  occasional  glass  of  beer 
it  was  all  up  with  him.  Before  long  he  took 
something  stronger  than  beer,  and  actually 
drank  himself  to  death  in  three  years. 

"  He  didn't  begin  to  drink  at  all  until  after 
Dolf  was  born;  so  it  may  be  the  boy  will 
escape  the  curse.  Mrs.  Turner  has  done  and 
said  everything  she  could  to  impress  him  with 
a  hatred  for  liquor.  Mrs.  By  am  told  me  about 
it,  and  she  says  Dolf  would  be  killed  before  he 
would  break  his  pledge. 

"  Mrs.  Turner  beggared  herself  to  take  care 
of  her  husband  and  pay  the  expenses  of  his 
sickness  and  burial.  She  ruined  her  health  so 
that  she  could  do  but  little  work  for  a  long 
time.  She  sold  every  article  of  furniture  she 
could  possibly  spare  that  would  bring  her  in  a 


New   Tenants.  47 

dollar,  and  I  am  afraid  she  lias  sometimes  been 
both  cold  and  hungry." 

"  She  will  be  neither  cold  nor  hungry  while 
she  lives  near  me." 

"  Dolf  is  old  enough  now  to  provide  against 
that.  He  is  a  strong,  healthy  boy,  and  I  be- 
lieve he  can  be  trusted.  But  he  will  have  to 
stand  trial.  There  will  be  no  stone  unturned 
to  make  beer-drinkers  of  our  boys,  and  there 
will  be  a  strong  rowdy  element  in  our  village 
before  summer  is  out." 

"  It  shall  not  intrude  upon  my  premises  or 
my  tenants,  so  long  as  I  retain  possession  of 
this  place.  I  don't  know  why  it  is,  but  some- 
times 1  have  faith  to  believe  that  I  shall  be 
allowed  to  spend  the  remainder  of  my  life  here. 

"  I  think  I  have  friends  who  would  help  me 
if  I  only  had  courage  to  apply  to  them ;  but  so 
long  as  I  was  utterly  hopeless,  I  could  think 
only  of  the  misery  I  had  brought  upon  my 
family." 

"  Stop  brooding  over  that,  Cousin  Luke.  The 
misery — as  you  call  it — may  turn  out  to  be 
something  entirely  different.  Think  of  what 
may  be  done  with  the  old  farm,  and  what  you 
can  do  to  counteract  the  evil  influences  that  are 
coming  in  upon  us  like  a  flood. 

"Don't  shut  yourself  up  away  from  your 
neighbors.  Go  to  church,  and  help  sustain  the 


48  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

prayer-meetings.  You  can  do  that,  Luke;  and 
you  owe  it  to  yourself  as  a  Christian  to  show 
more  fortitude  and  courage.  You  have  not 
been  through  what  I  have." 

"  True,  Jacob,  I  have  not ;  I  would  have  given 
all  I  possessed  to  save  the  life  of  my  boy. 
Money  seemed  to  me  then  of  little  value,  yet 
the  loss  of  it  quite  unmanned  me.  I  kept  say- 
ing to  myself,  '  If  I  was  twenty  years  younger 
I  might  begin  over  again ';  but  I  thought  I  was 
too  old  for  any  new  enterprise." 

"  Farming  will  not  be  a  new  enterprise.  You 
knew  something  about  it  when  you  were  a  boy ; 
and,  besides,  the  most  you  have  to  do  is  to  take 
what  is  already  furnished  to  your  hand. 

"  I  don't  want  to  find  fault  with  you,  Luke, 
but  it  seems  to  me  cowardly  to  sit  down  and  do 
nothing  because  you  are  no  longer  young.  Some 
men  have  done  their  best  work  in  the  world 
after  they  were  of  your  age.  The  experience 
you  have  had  ought  to  count  for  a  great  deal." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE   MORTGAGE. 

"WELL,  now,  this  is  what  I  call  a  regular 
waking  up  of  the  old  town,"  remarked  one 
farmer  to  another,  as  they  met  in  the  village 
street.  "  Spring  is  early  this  year,  and  every- 
body seems  ready  to  improve  it.  Things  are 
lively.  Work  for  all,  and  good  wages,  paid 
every  Saturday  night. 

"  Couldn't  make  the  croakers  believe  Stafford's 
coming  would  help  us  any,  but  there's  more 
money  stirring  than  there  ever  was  'round  here 
before,  and  he's  only  just  begun.  I  tell  you, 
when  he  gets  his  brewery  started,  things  will 
look  different  'round  here  from  what  they  have 
the  last  twenty  years. 

"  We  needed  stirring  up.  Summer  boarders 
helped  us,  but  they  don't  stay  long  enough. 
Stafford  has  come  to  stay.  You  voted  for  the 
brewery,  didn't  you  ? "  continued  the  speaker, 
as  he  began  to  realize  his  companion's  silence. 

"  I  did,  and  I  am  ashamed  of  it  already,"  was 
replied.  "  I  looked  on  only  one  side  of  the 
question,  and  forgot  there  might  be  another." 

"I  heard  your  wife  was  opposed  to  it." 

(49) 


50          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"She  is,  and  so  are  my  daughters.  They 
were  opposed  to  it  from  the  beginning.  More 
shame  to  me,  that  I  was  influenced  by  outsiders 
rather  than  by  my  own  family.  I  thought  I 
saw  a  way  to  clear  off  the  mortgage  from  my 
farm,  and  that  made  me  blind  to  everything  else." 

"  You  are  going  to  sow  barley  on  the  land 
you  broke  up  last  fall,  ain't  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  think  I  shall.  I  calculated  to,  but 
I've  had  some  new  light  on  the  subject,  and  I 
hope  for  a  good  crop  of  oats." 

"You'd  get  more  money  for  barley." 

"There  is  something  in  the  world  of  more 
value  than  money.  I  did  wrong  when  I  voted 
for  the  brewery ;  now  I  am  going  to  do  all  I  can 
to  show  my  repentance." 

"  "Well,  I  don't  suppose  I  can  say  anything  to 
change  your  mind.  I  knew  how  your  girls  felt 
about  it ;  but  I  believe  in  men  managing  their 
own  business ;  and  as  long  as  I'm  'round,  I  cal- 
culate to  manage  mine.  Your  girls  talk  to  my 
boys  every  chance  they  can  get;  and  they  seem 
to  think  Stafford  is  going  to  ruin  the  town  un- 
less everybody  goes  to  work  to  prevent  it." 

"I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  that;  and  the 
more  I  think  of  it  the  more  I  believe  it." 

"  I  don't  see  any  ruin  about  it.  I  think  Staf- 
ford is  a  whole-souled,  generous  fellow.  He 
looks  out  for  number  one,  of  course ;  but  he  says 


The  Mortgage.  51 

he  wants  to  help  other  folks  while  he  is  helping 
himself." 

"  And  you  believe  him  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes ;  I  am  bound  to  believe  what  a 
man  says  till  I  catch  him  in  a  lie." 

"You  can't  think  he  is  trying  to  help  Luke 
Brenner." 

"Well,  I  did  think  that  looked  rather  hard; 
but  after  all,  he  paid  out  his  money,  and  I  sup- 
pose he  has  a  right  to  get  it  back.  I  don't 
know  as  there's  any  reason  why  Luke  Brenner 
shouldn't  be  expected  to  pay  his  debts  the  same 
as  the  rest  of  us.  He  has  held  his  head  pretty 
high,  and  his  lady  wife  hasn't  wanted  anything 
to  do  with  common  folks.  It  must  be  a  good 
deal  of  a  come-down  for  them  to  find  them- 
selves no  better  off  than  their  neighbors.  As 
for  Tamson,  she  is  handsome  enough." 

"  And  as  good  as  she  is  handsome.  Herbert 
was  a  fine  boy." 

"  Yes,  he  was ;  I  never'll  go  back  on  that. 
You  know  he  saved  my  Bennie's  life.  My  boy 
would  have  drowned  if  it  hadn't  been  for  him ; 
and  when  he  died  we  felt  as  though  we  had 
lost  a  friend.  If  he  had  lived  his  father  wouldn't 
broke  down  as  he  has.  Herbert  would  have 
found  some  way  to  put  things  in  better  shape 
than  they  are.  To  my  mind,  he  was  an  uncom- 
monly smart  boy." 


52  Old  Benches  ivith  New  Props. 

"  To  my  mind,  Tamson  is  an  uncommonly 
smart  girl.  There  has  been  a  change  in  the 
order  of  things  on  the  Brenner  place,  and  Tam- 
son is  the  moving  spirit.  It  would  be  a  shame 
for  that  place  to  go  on  the  mortgage.  There's 
enough  on  it  that  can  be  spared  as  well  as 
not  to  clear  it,  and  I  shouldn't  be  surprised, 
any  day,  to  know  that  Stafford  had  been  paid 
every  dollar  his  due,  principal  and  interest. 
I,  for  one,  don't  want  to  see  the  Brenner  place 
go  out  of  the  family." 

"  Nor  I,  either ;  but  we  can't  expect  Stafford 
to  feel  about  it  as  we  do.  It  is  a  matter  of 
business  with  him.  Friendship  has  nothing  to 
do  with  it." 

"  There  is  more  spite  than  friendship ;  poor 
spite  too.  Because  he  fancied  Tamson  Bren- 
ner, and  she  didn't  fancy  him,  he  probably 
thought  he  would  punish  her  for  not  accepting 
him  as  her  husband." 

u  I  heard  something  about  that.  Men  don't 
like  to  get  the  mitten,  arid  I  suppose  Stafford 
thought  his  good  looks  and  his  prospect  for 
getting  rich  ought  to  make  him  sure  of  most 
any  girl.  It  wouldn't  be  strange  if  Tamson 
Brenner  never  gets  a  chance  to  do  any  better." 

<;  She  is  taking  a  better  chance.  Money  made 
in  the  way  Clyde  Stafford  proposes  to  make  it 
will  bring  a  curse  with  it.  To  think  we  should 


The  Mortgage.  53 

have  a  brewery  here  in  our  midst,  and  I  con- 
senting to  it !  I  wish  I  had  the  means  to  clear 
Luke  Brenner's  place.  I'd  take  it  out  of  Staf- 
ford's hands  before  to-morrow  morning." 

"  If  Tamson  would  marry  Stafford,  it  would 
be  all  right  about  the  place,  anyway.  It  may 
not  be  too  late  for  her  to  save  it  now." 

"  She  is  doing  her  part  towards  it.  She  and 
the  hired-girl  are  busy  from  morning  till  night 
with  all  kinds  of  work  that  will  bring  in  a  cent. 
They  say,  too,  that  Luke  Brenner  is  going  over 
his  farm  this  spring  dressed  no  better  than  the 
rest  of  us." 

"  That  is  the  best  thing  I  ever  heard  of  him. 
It  won't  hurt  him  to  go  to  work." 

Jacob  Hill  had  made  the  same  remark,  although 
in  a  very  different  tone.  He  knew  that  work 
was  just  what  the  man  needed  to  give  him  both 
mental  and  physical  strength.  Brooding  over 
trouble  never  lightens  it ;  but  when  once  the 
thoughts  and  hands  are  occupied  with  imme- 
diate necessities,  a  way  of  escape  seems  open. 

Luke  Brenner  proved  the  truth  of  this,  as 
day  after  day  he  found  himself  growing  more 
hopeful.  His  wife,  too,  seemed  almost  trans- 
formed, refusing  longer  to  be  considered  an  in- 
valid. She  went  with  her  husband  in  his  walks 
through  the  garden  and  orchard,  often  giving 
him  assistance  in  pruning  or  training  some 


54          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

straggling  vine,  and  always  so  bright  and  cheer- 
ful, that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  be  de- 
spondent. 

She  was  interested  in  his  plans.  She  made 
important  suggestions  which  commended  them- 
selves to  his  judgment,  but  of  which  he  had 
never  thought.  She  was  wholly  absorbed  in 
the  family  fortunes ;  not  for  herself  alone,  but 
for  those  dear  to  her. 

"  Clyde  Stafford  shall  never  have  this  place," 
she  said  one  day,  looking  off  to  the  mountains, 
which  kept  watch  and  ward,  like  sentinels,  over 
the  pleasant  country  town.  "  I  used  to  think 
it  was  lonely  and  dreary  here,  but  it  is  the  dear- 
est place  in  the  world  to  me  now.  I  could  not 
bear  to  leave  it." 

"You  shall  not  leave  it,"  replied  her  husband, 
raising  her  hand  to  his  lips  with  old-time  gal- 
lantry. 

Tamson  Brenner  was  jubilant  over  the  change 
in  her  mother,  who  counted  the  crocks  of  butter 
already  stored  for  a  future  market ;  computing 
their  price  and  the  amount  which  could  be 
spared  toward  reducing  the  debt.  The  baskets 
of  fresh-laid  eggs  were  her  especial  care;  con- 
signed each  week  to  Jacob  Hill,  who  brought 
her  the  proceeds  of  their  sale. 

The  warm,  sunny  days  of  an  early  spring  had 
developed  the  blossoms  of  the  linden  trees,  so 


The  Mortgage.  55 

that  the  bees  came  laden  to  their  hives,  which 
soon  became  so  crowded  that  a  part  of  the  occu- 
pants sought  other  quarters,  which  were  quickly 
provided.  There  was  promise  of  abundance  of 
fruit,  to  be  gathered  in  its  season ;  one  variety 
succeeding  another,  until  the  frosts  of  autumn 
should  seal  the  harvest. 

"  Nothing  will  be  allowed  to  go  to  waste  on 
the  Brenner  place  this  year,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Hill,  after  spending  a  day  with  her  cousins. 
"  Luke's  wife  will  make  the  most  of  everything 
in  the  way  of  dress,  and  have  it  all  look  nice, 
too.  We  got  to  talking,  and  I  told  her  about  my 
black  silk  that  has  been  out  of  fashion  these  ten 
years.  She  wants  I  should  carry  it  down  and 
let  her  see  it.  She  said  she  knew  she  could 
make  a  good  dress  of  it." 

u  You  and  Luke's  wife  must  have  got  better 
acquainted  than  you  ever  were  before,  or  you 
never  would  have  told  about  that  black  silk. 
As  folks  say,  you  and  she  never  took  to  each 
other." 

"  I  know  it ;  but  I  shouldn't  wonder  now  if 
we  get  to  be  very  good  friends.  She  has  a  kind 
heart,  but  she  says  she  has  always  been  selfish 
with  her  husband,  'though  she  loves  him  as  well 
as  any  woman  ought  to  love  a  husband. 

"  Tamson  says  her  mother  is  doing  everything 
now  to  make  her  father  look  on  the  bright  side 


56          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

of  things ;  and  they  are  all  so  busy  they  don't 
have  time  to  worry.  Luke  and  his  wife  seeni 
almost  like  children  together,  and  I  never  saw 
him.  when  he  appeared  as  happy  as  he  does  now. 
Tamson  watches  them,  and  is  so  happy  herself, 
she  don't  know  when  she  is  tired.  As  for  Ann, 
she  wishes  the  days  were  longer,  so  she  could  do 
more  work. 

"Ann  is  a  treasure,  and  the  way  she  and 
Dolf  Turner  are  running  the  barn  and  hen- 
house, is  enough  to  astonish  everybody  who 
knows  about  it.  At  the  rate  things  are  man- 
aged there  now,  the  farm  will  pay  a  good  in- 
come this  year.  Luke  says  if  they  can  meet 
their  expenses  the  first  six  months,  he  shall 
have  a  face  to  ask  assistance  from  some  of  his 
friends." 

"They  will  more  than  meet  their  expenses, 
wife.  Tamson  told  me  they  were  living  almost 
entirely  on  home  products,  and  she  saves 
something  from  every  dollar  that  is  brought 
into  the  house.  She  talked  with  her  father  and 
he  agreed  to  it. 

"  They  will  have  bushels  of  strawberries,  and 
what  are  not  sold  they  will  can,  so  there  will 
be  no  loss.  The  bees  must  be  doing  well.  The 
last  time  I  was  down  there  the  linden  trees 
were  fairly  humming.  It  sounded  like  old 
times,  and  Luke  said  the  bees  were  swarming 


The  Mortgage,  57 

wonderfully.  He  can  sell  every  pound  of 
honey  for  a  good  price. 

"  It  is  my  opinion  that  Armstrong  knows  a 
great  deal  more  about  what  the  bees  have  been 
doing  the  last  few  years  than  Luke  does.  Arm- 
strong sold  more  honey  than  he  ever  had  a  right 
to.  Now  he  can  steal  from  Stafford  ;  and  as  far 
as  Stafford  is  concerned,  I  am  willing  he  should." 

"  I  always  pitied  Mrs.  Armstrong.  She  looks 
like  a  heart-broken  woman ;  and  any  one  who 
saw  her  with  her  husband  would  know  she  was 
afraid  of  him." 

"  That  is  enough  to  know  of  any  man.  When 
a  woman  is  afraid  of  her  husband,  you  may  be 
sure  he  is  not  fit  to  be  trusted  by  anybody." 

"  I  believe  you  are  right  there,  Jacob.  But 
to  come  back  to  Cousin  Luke.  Have  you  any 
idea  where  he  could  get  money  to  pay  up  the 
mortgage  and  clear  himself  from  Stafford ! " 

"  I  have  several  ideas,  Prudence ;  but  as  I  am 
not  sure  of  anything,  I  would  rather  not  com- 
mit myself  even  to  you.  But  I  have  no  doubt 
that  before  the  year  is  out,  the  mortgage  will 
be  paid." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THAD    BYAM. 

MRS.  BYAM  had  calculated  that  her  grandson 
would  remain  in  bed  at  least  until  she  had 
milked  her  cow  and  prepared  breakfast;  but 
he  was  up  before  her,  and  brought  the  milk 
into  the  pantry,  just  as  he  had  done  when  he 
was  a  boy. 

"I  am  afraid  you  didn't  sleep  well,"  she  said, 
after  he  had  kissed  her  "good-morning." 

"  I  slept  like  a  top,"  he  answered ;  adding : 
"  I  never  could  forget  your  night  and  morning 
kiss.  That,  and  some  other  things,  have  kept 
me  from  going  to  the  bad." 

"I  am  glad  of  it.  I  began  that  way  when 
you  were  a  little  fellow,  and  you  never  seemed 
to  think  you  had  outgrown  it,"  was  replied ; 
while  the  happiness  the  speaker  could  not  half 
express  quite  illumined  her  face.  "  You  thought 
you  couldn't  sleep  without  grandma's  kiss." 

"  I  remember  all  about  it ;  and  I  remember, 
too,  that  it  was  hard  work  to  get  the  kiss  when 
I  had  been  naughtier  than  usual.  I  have  given 
you  lots  of  trouble,  grandmother,  but  now  I  am 
going  to  try  and  make  up  to  you  for  part  of  it." 
(58) 


Thad  By  am.  59 

"There  is  nothing  to  make  up  for,  Thad. 
You  had  a  boy's  ways,  and  likely  I  didn't 
always  do  the  best  thing  by  you,  'though  I  tried 
to.  I  hope  now  we  are  both  of  us  all  right, 
and  I  can't  begin  to  tell  you  how  thankful  I  am 
for  somebody  to  care  for  me  in  my  old  age.  I 
don't  know  how  I  could  borne  to  have  you  go 
wrong." 

"I  came  near  it,  grandmother — nearer  than 
you  know  ;  but  a  new  influence  came  to  me  and 
held  me  back." 

"  We'll  talk  about  that  when  we  have  more 
time :  when  you  can  tell  me  all  about  it." 

"That  will  be  best,  for  we  may  have  a  good 
deal  to  say.  When  I  was  milking  I  wondered 
if  I  could  catch  some  trout  for  breakfast.  Do 
you  suppose  anybody  has  found  my  pool  under 
the  rock  by  the  big  elm  ? " 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  have  never  heard  anything 
about  it,  'though  the  city  folks  that  come  here 
in  summer  have  fished  up  and  down  the  brook, 
till  I  shouldn't  think  they  had  missed  a  foot  of 
it." 

"  I  guess  I'll  try  my  luck.  There  ought  to  be 
some  pretty  big  fish  under  the  rock,  and  there 
won't  be  anybody  out  at  this  time  of  day  to  see 
where  I  go." 

Fishing-tackle  was  where  it  had  been  left 
two  years  before,  while  plenty  of  bait  was 


60          Old  Benches  ivith  New  Props. 

quickly  found.  The  fish  were  just  waiting  to 
be  caught,  as  Thad  told  his  grandmother  when 
he  displayed  the  result  of  his  angling. 

No  one  sat  down  that  morning  to  a  more  ap- 
petizing breakfast  than  did  these  two.  The 
table  was  covered  with  a  snowy  cloth  of  home- 
made linen,  and  the  "best  dishes"  had  been 
brought  from  the  little  buffet  in  the  corner  of 
the  "front  room."  There  was  real  country 
cream  in  the  cream- jug,  while  upon  a  rare  old 
platter  were  the  mountain  trout,  fried  crisp  and 
brown,  and  garnished  with  watercress,  gathered 
by  the  tiny  rivulet  which  helped  to  swell  the 
larger  brook. 

"  It  is  worth  five  years  of  hard  work  just  to 
come  back  and  find  everything  so  good,"  said 
the  young  man,  after  listening  reverently  to  the 
short  prayer  offered  by  his  grandmother. 

"  I  was  afraid  the  old  house  would  seem  so 
small  you  wouldn't  be  willing  to  stay  in  it; 
and  I  didn't  know  as  you  could  sleep  in  the  lit- 
tle room  under  the  eaves ;  'though  since  I  had 
the  windows  thrown  out  it  is  larger  than  it  used 
to  be,"  was  replied. 

"It  is  a  delightful  room,  grandmother;  a 
great  deal  better  than  the  one  I  have  slept  in 
the  last  two  years.  When  a  poor  fellow  goes 
to  experimenting  with  inventions,  he  has  to 
come  right  down  to  hard-pan  in  the  way  of  liv- 


Thad  By  am.  61 

ing.  I  worked  days  to  earn  money  to  spend 
nights.  I  hired  a  garret  and  bought  a  stove,  a 
table,  two  chairs,  and  what  answered  for  a  bed ; 
and  you  may  be  sure  I  didn't  spend  any  more 
for  what  I  ate  than  was  absolutely  necessary. 
Sometimes  I  forgot  about  my  supper,  so  I  didn't 
have  any." 

"  Why,  Thaddeus,  I  should  have  worried 
about  you  if  I  had  known  you  was  living  like 
that.  And  all  the  time  you  were  sending  me 
money  you  needed  for  yourself." 

"  It  was  nothing  to  worry  about,  grandmother. 
I  didn't  go  hungry;  or,  if  I  did,  I  didn't  know 
it.  I  always  had  one  good,  square  meal  in  the 
week.  That  was  Sunday  morning,  when  I 
bought  beans  and  brown  bread,  and  had  coffee 
with  milk  and  sugar  in  it." 

"I  hope  you  didn't  work  Sundays?" 
"  No,  grandmother,  I  didn't  do  that.  There 
was  a  good  deal  of  the  time  when  I  didn't  have 
clothes  fit  to  wear  to  meeting  in  daylight,  but 
I  didn't  work.  I  used  to  manage  to  get  'round 
where  there  was  preaching  and  praying  in  the 
evening,  and  that  helped  me." 

"  Did  you  earn  all  the  money  you  have  spent  ? " 

"  Every  dollar,  till  it  came  to  the  last  pull. 

Then  I  borrowed  a  thousand  dollars  to  finish 

up  with,  and  gave  security  on  my  invention. 

The  money  is  to  be  paid  back  in  two  years,  or 


62  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

the  man  who  lent  it  to  me  will  get  all  the  bene- 
fit of  my  work." 

"  Can  you  pay  it  ? " 

"I  have  no  doubt  that  I  can.  The  money 
will  be  ready  for  him  in  less  than  a  year.  I  am 
going  slow  and  sure.  I  don't  expect  to  get  rich 
the  first  thing,  but  I  shall  have  enough  to  pay 
my  debt  and  keep  things  moving." 

"When  did  you  first  begin  to  think  about 
your  invention,  as  you  call  it  ? " 

"  I  have  thought  of  it  so  long  I  hardly  know 
when  I  begun,  but  I  never  should  have  done  it 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  Mr.  Brenner.  He  always 
used  to  speak  to  me  when  he  saw  me,  and  gener- 
ally stop  and  ask  me  how  I  was  getting  along. 
Once  when  there  was  a  chance  for  us  to  talk 
together  a  few  minutes,  I  told  him  what  I  had 
been  thinking  about,  and  he  encouraged  me  to 
try  and  see  what  I  could  do. 

"  Next  to  you,  Mr.  Brenner  has  been  the  best 
friend  I  ever  had,  and  I  never  was  so  sorry  for 
anybody  as  I  was  for  him  when  he  failed.  If  I 
had  had  money  to  give  him  he  shouldn't  have 
thrown  up  his  business.  It  was  such  a  pity  for 
him  to  sacrifice  so  much." 

"  It  will  be  more  of  a  pity  if  he  loses  the  old 
place,  and  they  say  there  is  danger  of  it." 

"  I  heard  something  about  that,  grandmother, 
and  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  just  how  it  is." 


Tkad  Byam.  63 

So  far  as  Mrs.  Byam  knew,  the  story  was 
told ;  with  many  an  interruption  on  the  part  of 
the  listener,  who  asked  a  succession  of  ques- 
tions, many  of  which  she  was  unable  to  answer. 

"  Grandmother,  I  might  have  been  a  drunkard 
if  Mr.  Brenner  had  not  given  me  some  good  ad- 
vice one  evening,  after  he  had  seen  me  in  company 
with  some  boys  who  had  started  on  the  wrong 
track,  and  who  thought  it  the  very  height  of  man- 
liness to  smoke  and  drink  liquor,"  said  Thaddeus 
Byam.  "  I  was  coming  home  the  nearest  way, 
through  the  lindens,  and  Mr.  Brenner  was  there. 

"He  didn't  talk  hard  to  me,  but  he  made  me 
feel  that  there  was  something  better  for  me  than 
wasting  time  and  money  on  tobacco  and  liquor. 
He  stirred  all  the  good  there  was  in  me,  and  if 
I  live  I  will  make  him  some  return  for  it. 

"  The  man  who  lent  me  money  is  a  friend  of 
Mr.  Brenner's,  and  if  I  can't  do  anything  my- 
self I  can  appeal  to  him.  My  invention  can 
stand  another  mortgage,  and  I  can  work  it  out. 
I  know  I  can." 

"If  you  only  could,  Thad,  I  should  be  so 
thankful;  and  a  good  many  others  would  be 
thankful,  too." 

"  I  can  do  it ;  I  know  I  can.  I  wish  I  was  as 
sure  of  upsetting  that  brewery  arrangement. 
What  were  the  men  thinking  of  to  vote  that 
curse  into  the  town  ? " 


64          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  Thinking  of  a  market  for  their  barley,  and 
the  money  that  will  be  stirring." 

"  Money  will  be  stirring.  There  is  no  doubt 
of  that;  but  in  the  end  it  will  stir  back  into 
Stafford's  pocket.  Brewers  and  distillers  are 
making  enormous  profits,  and  these  profits  are 
largely  paid  by  men  whose  families  are  often 
half  starved." 

"  They  say  Stafford  calls  his  beer  a  good  tem- 
perance drink ;  good  for  keeping  folks  well,  and 
curing  them  when  they  are  sick." 

"  He  knows  that  is  not  true.  Beer  is  the  curse 
of  the  mechanics  in  our  cities.  I  have  worked 
with  young  men  who  spent  so  much  for  beer 
and  tobacco  they  had  hardly  enough  left  from 
their  wages  to  pay  for  board  and  clothing.  A 
company  of  them  would  get  together  in  what 
they  call  a  beer-garden,  and  drink  glass  after 
glass  of  beer  through  the  whole  evening." 

"  Did  you  ever  go  with  them  ? "  asked  Mrs. 
Byam,  looking  at  her  grandson  sharply. 

"I  went  once  to  a  beer-garden,  but  I  did  not 
drink  a  drop  of  beer.  I  wanted  to  see  what 
was  done  there ;  and  as  there  was  a  policeman 
at  the  door,  I  was  pretty  sure  no  one  could  force 
me  to  drink.  I  had  to  stand  a  good  deal  of 
chaffing  and  some  threatening,  but  I  turned  it 
off  as  well  as  I  could,  and  managed  to  keep 
them  all  good-natured." 


Thad  By  am.  65 

"  Do  you  know  how  the  beer  tastes  ? " 

"Yes ;  I  drank  one  glass  that  was  ordered  by 
a  physician.  I  wasn't  feeling  very  well,  and  he 
advised  me  to  take  a  glass  every  day  with  my 
dinner,  but  one  was  enough  for  me.  It  was  dis- 
agreeable to  me,  but  I  presume  I  could  have 
learned  to  like  it,  and  perhaps  crave  it,  as  so 
many  others  do." 

"What  would  have  happened  then,  Thad? 
I  can't  bear  to  think  of  it." 

"  There  is  no  need  that  you  should  think  of 
it,  grandmother.  I  think  of  it  only  to  be  thank- 
ful that  I  am  a  teetotaler.  I  have  kept  some  of 
my  shopmates  from  drinking  beer,  and  so  saved 
them.  One  poor  fellow  who  needed  every  cent 
he  earned  to  keep  a  home  for  his  invalid  mother 
was  in  great  danger,  because  there  was  another 
workman  determined  to  get  him  in  with  the 
beer-drinkers,  and  it  was  hard  for  him  to 
say  no. 

"  One  evening,  when  I  knew  there  was  to  be 
a  grand  push  for  him,  I  invited  him  to  my  gar- 
ret and  gave  him  a  little  treat.  It  cost  me  some- 
thing, but  it  saved  the  boy.  Before  he  went 
home  I  got  him  to  sign  my  pledge ;  and  after 
that  all  the  world  couldn't  make  him  break  it." 

"  What  is  his  name  ? " 

"  Roth  well  Skies,  but  everybody  shortens  the 
first  name  to  Roth.  He  is  a  bright,  active  fel- 


66          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

low,  just  doing  his  level  best ;  and  when  I  start 
out  for  myself  I  shall  take  him  with  me." 

"  Does  his  mother  know  what  you  have  done 
for  him  ? " 

"  Yes,  and  repaid  me  for  it  She  has  invited 
me  to  tea  with  her  and  Roth  every  Sunday  for 
the  last  year.  I  always  take  something  along 
with  me,  so  as  not  to  make  them  any  expense,  and 
they  live  in  close  quarters,  but  it  is  a  great  deal 
to  me  to  sit  down  at  the  table  with  them,  after 
eating  alone  all  through  the  week.  Then,  after 
tea,  we  have  a  nice  talk  together,  and  that  is 
best  of  all.  Mrs.  Skies  is  a  good  woman,  who 
has  seen  lots  of  trouble." 

"  There  are  a  great  many  such  women  in  the 
world." 

"  I  begin  to  think  so ;  and  the  wonder  to  me 
is  that  they  are  so  patient  and  cheerful.  1 
wonder  how  you  ever  had  patience  with  me,  and 
I  may  try  your  patience  again ;  for  now  I  am 
home.  I  feel  very  much  like  the  boy  who  tracked 
your  clean  floor,  and  whistled  when  he  ought  to 
have  kept  still." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

CLYDE   STAFFORD,    THE   BREWER. 

WHISTLING  down  the  street,  keeping  step 
to  his  own  music.  Ten  years  before  he  had 
been  only  Widow  Byam's  grandson ;  bright  and 
smart,  as  everybody  said,  yet  as  likely  to  go 
wrong  as  right.  He  could  do  "a  big  day's 
work,"  but  he  wished  for  a  different  kind  of 
work  every  day. 

Old  people  talked  wisely  of  the  rolling  stone 
which  gathers  no  moss;  although  there  were 
some  who,  knowing  his  kind  heart,  were  always 
ready  to  speak  a  good  word  for  him. 

Now  he  was  "  a  really  promising  young 
man  ";  the  inventor  of  machinery  which  would 
revolutionize  an  important  industry.  In  arrang- 
ing to  bring  this  invention  before  the  public  he 
had  shown  a  business  ability  which  was  the 
more  remarkable  because  of  his  inexperience. 

His  fortune  was  already  assured.  His  towns- 
men were  proud  that  one  of  their  number  should 
have  achieved  such  success ;  a  little  curious,  too, 
to  know  how  he  would  carry  his  new  honors. 

There  he  was,  whistling  down  the  street, 

(67) 


68          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

stopping  occasionally  to  speak  to  some  old 
acquaintance,  and  then  resuming  his  walk,  until 
he  stood  before  a  saloon  which  had  been  re- 
cently opened.  Just  then  two  young  men  came 
out  of  the  saloon,  of  whom  he  asked  the  ques- 
tion : 

"  Is  it  for  eating,  or  drinking  ? " 

"For  both,  'though  there's  more  drinking 
than  eating,"  was  replied.  "  If  you  want  a  glass 
of  good  beer,  there's  the  place  to  get  it." 

"  Good  beer,"  repeated  Thad  Byam  contempt- 
uously. "  There  is  no  such  thing  as  good  beer. 
It  is  all  bad." 

"That  is  your  opinion." 

"  It  is ;  and  I  am  ready  to  back  it  up." 

"  Maybe  you  are,  but  when  the  new  brewery 
gets  to  running,  you  better  not  tell  Stafford  his 
beer  is  bad." 

"He  will  know  it  without  being  told,  and 
you  will  all  find  it  out  before  you  die." 

Some  men  at  work  not  far  away  heard  this 
colloquy,  and  as  they  turned  to  see  the  speakers, 
one  of  them  exclaimed : 

"  Thad  Byam,  as  I  live." 

"  You  are  right  about  that,  Tim,"  was  the 
quick  response.  "  We  have  both  of  us  changed, 
but  there  is  enough  of  the  old  stock  left  to  show 
where  we  came  from.  No  matter  about  that, 
though.  The  question  nowadays  is,  '  Where 


Clyde  Stafford,  the  Brewer.  69 

are  you  going  2 7  Shake  hands,  and  tell  me  how 
you  have  prospered." 

"  My  hands  are  not  fit  to  touch  yours.  I  have 
been  working  in  the  dirt,  and  the  dirt  sticks." 

"I'm  used  to  dirt  that  sticks,  and  there  is  no 
reason  to  be  ashamed  of  good,  honest  dirt. 
Where  are  Dick  and  Luf?  You  three  were 
generally  pretty  near  together  when  you  were 
younger." 

"  They  ain't  a  great  ways  off.  We  scattered 
'round  for  a  while,  but  this  spring  we  thought 
we  could  do  as  well  here  as  anywhere.  We 
ain't  of  the  kind  to  get  rich  in  a  minute,  as  you 
have.  No  such  luck  for  us." 

"  I  am  not  rich  ;  and  as  for  luck,  1  have  had 
the  luck  to  work  hard,  and  fare  hard  too  some- 
times." 

"  But  we  heard  up  here — 

"  You  didn't  hear  how  I  lived  in  a  garret  and 
cooked  my  own  food,  did  you  ? "  said  Thad- 
deus  Byam,  interrupting  the  story  of  what  had 
been  heard. 

"  I  didn't  suppose  you  did  that,"  was  replied 
hesitatingly. 

"  I  did,  and  thought  myself  lucky  when  I 
could  afford  a  pint  of  milk  to  wash  down  my 
supper  of  dry  bread.  When  you  come  to  that, 
you  will  know  something  about  such  luck  as  I 
have  had." 


70          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

While  the  speaker  was  thus  giving  his  old- 
time  acquaintance  a  glimpse  of  his  life,  he  was 
scanning  closely  the  face  before  him,  upon  which 
dissipation  and  ungoverned  passions  had  already 
left  their  marks. 

The  three,  usually  found  together,  were  the 
three  against  whose  influence  Mr.  Brenner  had 
warned  Widow  Byam's  grandson,  and  who  had 
ever  afterward  regarded  him  with  positive  dis- 
like. 

"  We  heard  you  were  getting  rich,  and  we've 
been  looking  for  you  to  come  back  in  grand 
style,"  remarked  Tim,  with  a  sorry  attempt  to 
be  facetious.  "  Didn't  know  but  you'd  stop  at 
the  hotel  with  the  rest  of  the  big-bugs.  Didn't 
know  as  the  little  brown  house  would  be  large 
enough  for  you." 

"  The  little  brown  house  will  be  large  enough 
for  me  as  long  as  ray  grandmother  lives.  I 
wouldn't  miss  this  vacation  on  the  old  place  for 
half  a  year's  work.  But  say,  Tim,  how  has  the 
world  used  you,  or  you  used  the  world,  since  I 
saw  you  last  ? " 

"  Bad  enough.  Poor  folks  can't  expect  much 
of  the  world.  It's  a  grind  from  beginning  to 
end.  Couldn't  stand  it  anyway  if  I  didn't  stop 
once  in  a  while  and  have  a  let-up,  'though  I 
haye  to  make  up  for  it  afterwards.  How  long 
are  you  going  to  stay  'round  here  ?  " 


Clyde  Stafford,  the  Brewer.  71 

"  One  month.  I  should  like  to  stay  all  sum- 
mer, but  I  can't  afford  it." 

"  Come  into  the  saloon  and  have  a  glass  of 
beer  with  me  for  old  times'  sake  ;  or  have  you 
got  above  beer  ?  " 

"Thank  you,  Tim,  but  I  never  drink  beer. 
I  am  a  teetotal  temperance  man." 

"  But  this  is  real  temperance  beer ;  such  as 
Stafford  is  going  to  make  when  he  gets  his 
brewery  started.  He  says  he  shall  be  doing 
more  for  temperance  than  any  other  man  in 
town." 

"  He  knows  that  he  lies  every  time  he  says 
that.  Every  man  who  drinks  beer  is  in  a  fair 
way  to  be  a  drunkard,  and  every  brewer  knows 
it.  Drinking  beer  is  a  waste  of  time  and  money. 
While  the  drinker  gets  poorer  the  brewer  gets 
richer,  and  every  brewer  knows  it." 

"  Didn't  suppose  you'd  be  down  on  beer  at 
that  rate.  It  ain't  the  way  folks  look  at  it' 
'round  here.  They  thought  it  would  be  a  good 
thing  for  the  town  to  have  Stafford  come  here 
and  start  up  business." 

"  You  don't  mean  that  the  voters  of  this  town 
thought  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  have  a 
brewery  here  ? " 

"  Well — no — not  all  of  them.  There  were 
some  that  opposed  it ;  but  they  can't  help  see- 
ing that  there's  more  money  coming  into  town." 


72  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  They  can't  help  seeing  that  in  the  end  most 
of  the  money  will  go  into  one  pocket.  Mark 
my  words,  Tim,  the  brewery  will  be  a  curse  to 
the  town.  It  is  a  curse  already." 

"  You  wouldn't  want  to  say  that  to  Stafford ; 
nor  the  farmers  either,  who  are  raising  big  crops 
of  barley  he'll  pay  them  a  good  price  for." 

"  I  have  no  quarrel  with  Stafford  or  the  farm- 
ers, but  if  occasion  required,  I  should  express 
my  mind  as  plainly  to  them  as.  I  have  to 
you." 

"  It  wouldn't  have  any  effect  if  you  did," 
said  Tim  sharply.  "  The  brewery  is  going  up 
in  spite  of  you  and  old  Brenner.  He  has  got 
to  come  down  on  a  level  with  the  rest  of  us, 
and  I  am  glad  of  it.  His  lady  wife  may  have 
to  wear  something  besides  silks  and  satins. 

"  They  say  Tamson  Brenner  thought  she  was 
too  good  to  marry  Stafford,  but  she  may  see  the 
day  when  she'll  be  glad  of  such  a  home  as  he 
would  give  her.  He  holds  the  mortgage  on 
the  old  place,  and  has  foreclosed  too,  without 
a  chance  of  its  being  redeemed,  unless  some- 
body outside  of  the  family  comes  forward  with 
the  money.  There  ain't  much  likelihood  of  that, 
since  so  many  lost  by  the  old  man's  failure." 

"Nobody  lost  by  Mr.  Brenner's  failure  ex- 
cept himself  and  his  family.  He  was  honest 
and  honorable  to  the  last  degree.  He  might 


Clyde  Stafford,  the  Brewer.  73 

have  kept  something  for  his  wife  and  daughter, 
but  he  didn't  do  it." 

"Well,  I  don't  know  about  that,  'though 
folks  say  he'd  do  'most  anything  for  them. 
Some  folks  think  Tamson  is  handsome,  and 
they  say  she  is  smart  too.  I  suppose  you  are 
well  acquainted  with  her." 

"  I  never  spoke  to  her  but  once  in  my  life, 
and  that  was  when  she  was  a  little  girl.  I 
thought  then  she  was  wonderfully  pretty,  but 
we  have  all  changed  since  then  ;  you  and  I,  as 
well  as  the  rest.  Remember  me  to  Dick  and 
Luf.  I  hope  I  shall  see  them  while  I  am  at 
home,  and  see  you  again  too." 

"  You'll  find  me  'round  here  for  the  next  six 
months.  I've  got  a  steady  job,  and  I'm  going 
to  stick  to  it.  Don't  suppose  you'd  take  a  cigar, 
any  more  than  you  would  a  glass  of  beer  ? " 

"  No,  I  wouldn't.  I  smoked  my  first  and 
last  cigar  with  you,  and  I  never  wanted  another. 
There's  altogether  too  much  money  spent  for 
liquor  and  tobacco  in  this  country.  I've  seen 
men  waste  money  that  way,  and  leave  their 
wives  and  children  hungry." 

"Well,  I  hain't  got  any  wife,  and  .it's  no- 
body's business  how  I  spend  my  money.  I 
earn  it  and  spend  it,  and  that's  the  end  of  it, 
and " 

Thaddeus  Byarn  walked  away,  leaving  his 


74  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

whilom  companion  to  complete  the  declaration 
of  independence,  which  had  in  it  more  of  bra- 
vado than  actual  feeling. 

"Just  as  I  expected,"  soliloquized  the  young 
man  who  found  himself  alone.  "  Can't  come 
anywhere  near  him,  he's  so  awful  good.  Wish 
we  could  catch  him  napping,  but  it's  no  use 
trying.  He's  too  wide  awake  for  that.  I  shall 
have  something  to  tell  Dick  and  Luf.  Wonder 
if  all  three  of  us  could  talk  him  down  on  the 
beer  question.  What  good  would  it  do  if  we 
could  ?  He's  at  the  top  and  we're  at  the  bot- 
tom. I  never  come  so  close  in  the  way  of  liv- 
ing as  he  told  about,  but  he's  got  through  with 
that.  Luck  is  all  on  his  side." 

Meanwhile  Thaddeus  Byain  had  met  others 
who  gave  him  hearty  congratulations  upon  his 
success.  Afterward,  he  recalled  the  fact  that 
nearly  every  one  who  addressed  him  spoke  of 
the  brewery  and  the  foreclosure  of  the  Brenner 
mortgage. 

"  Seems  as  though  Stafford  was  bound  to  put 
down  everybody  that  opposes  him,"  said  an  old 
man  who  didn't  believe  in  new-fangled  drinks 
that  "  cost  so  much  money  and  never  satisfied 
anybody." 

Thaddeus  Byam  had  seen  and  heard  enough 
to  make  him  more  thankful  than  ever  before  for 
the  word  spoken  in  season  which  had  so  influ- 


Clyde  Stafford,  the  Brewer.  75 

enced  his  life.  Almost  involuntarily  he  took 
the  path  leading  through  the  lindens  to  his 
home,  and  there  he  met  Mr.  Brenner,  who 
greeted  him  with  the  utmost  cordiality.  There 
was  the  rustic  bench  on  which  the  two  had  sat 
while  the  man  clasped  the  boy's  hands  fast  in 
his  own  and  told  of  the  possibilities  waiting  for 
every  true,  earnest  worker. 

"The  bench  has  grown  old,  and  its  days  of 
usefulness  are  over,  but  it  has  served  its  pur- 
pose for  many  a  year,"  said  he  who  had  placed 
the  bench  in  its  present  position. 

"  It  only  needs  new  props  to  make  it  service- 
able for  many  a  year  to  come,"  was  replied. 
"The  bench  itself  is  all  right.  The  trouble  is 
with  the  props,  and  with  your  permission  I  will 
make  them  all  right  while  I  am  at  home.  I  have 
thought  of  this  grove  many  a  time  when  I  was 
almost  panting  for  breath  in  my  close  garret." 

"  I  am  afraid  your  close  garret  witnessed 
some  dark  days." 

"Not  so  dark  but  there  was  light  ahead.  I 
was  always  looking  forward  to  something  bet- 
ter, and  as  long  as  a  man  can  do  that,  he  has 
courage  to  work." 

"That  is  true.  It  is  when  a  man  has  lost 
hope  that  he  becomes  disheartened  and  discour- 
aged ;  feeling  that  there  is  nothing  more  left 
for  him." 


76  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"Mr.  Brenner,  you  are  far  wiser  than  I  am, 
but  it  seems  to  me  no  man  ought  to  feel  like 
that  as  long  as  he  is  in  this  world ;  and  when  it 
comes  to  another,  there  is  the  infinite  blessed- 
ness ;  is  there  not  ?  I  think  discouraged  people 
are  something  like  this  bench.  They  are  all 
right  if  they  can  only  be  propped  up. 

"The  plank  here  is  firm  and  strong;  the 
shade  as  dense  as  ever,  and  the  prospect  as 
beautiful.  The  trouble  is  that  the  props  are  a 
little  shaky.  When  you  come  here  again  I 
think  you  will  find  the  bench  as  serviceable  as 


ever." 


"  The  boy  has  taught  me  a  lesson  I  shall  not 
soon  forget,"  said  Mr.  Brenner  half  aloud,  after 
bidding  Thaddeus  Byam  "  Good-morning." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

EATING-SALOON. 

"  I  THINK  I  will  go  up  to  Eagle  Point  to-day," 
said  Thaddeus  Byam  to  his  grandmother,  as 
they  sat  at  breakfast.  "  I  want  to  see  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hill.  Next  to  Mr.  Brenner,  they  were  the 
best  friends  I  had  when  I  was  a  boy.  I  sup- 
pose it  would  be  too  much  for  you  to  walk  up 
there  with  ine." 

"  I  walked  up  there  when  snow  was  on  the 
ground.  The  snow  was  frozen  hard,  so  it  was 
like  walking  on  a  floor ;  but  if  I  take  my  time 
for  it  I  think  I  can  go  through  the  woods  with- 
out getting  too  tired.  I  want  to  go  too.  I  want 
to  know  how  things  are  going  at  the  Brenner 
place,  and  Prudence  and  Jacob  can  tell  me  all 
about  it." 

"That  is  what  I  want  to  know.  I  came 
through  the  Brenner  woods  yesterday,  and  I 
never  knew  before  how  much  fine  timber  there 
is  on  the  place.  There  are  some  splendid  oaks 
that  would  sell  for  a  big  price." 

"  Talk  with  Jacob  about  it." 

(7?) 


78          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  I  will ;  and  we  may  as  well  start  for  Eagle 
Point  as  soon  as  we  can." 

Mrs.  Byam  was  as  eager  to  be  on  the  way  as 
was  her  grandson,  so  that  it  was  early  when 
they  reached  their  destination. 

"  We  were  talking  about  you  not  an  hour 
ago,  and  wishing  you  would  come,"  said  Mrs. 
Hill,  extending  a  hand  to  each  of  her  visitors. 
"  Jacob  said  he  wanted  to  hear  Thaddeus  tell 
his  own  story.  You  know  he  was  always  inter- 
ested in  you,"  she  added,  looking  at  the  young 
man  standing  before  her,  who  replied : 

"  He  was  interested  in  Thad  Byam.  I  am 
pretty  sure  that  he  never  called  me  Thaddeus 
in  all  my  life,  and  I  don't  want  him  to  begin 
now.  I  am  just  Thad,  as  I  used  to  be ;  only 
with  a  few  years  over  my  head,  and,  I  hope,  a 
little  more  sense  in  it.  I  came  home  to  be  a  boy 
again." 

"  All  right,  Thad,"  answered  Mrs.  Hill,  and 
thus  all  formality  was  at  an  end. 

The  day  was  long,  but  not  too  long  for  all 
that  was  to  be  said,  and  the  plans  that  were  to 
be  considered. 

"  People  say  Stafford  hadn't  a  doubt  but  what 
the  Brenner  place  would  come  into  his  hands," 
remarked  Jacob  Hill,  as  they  were  talking  of 
the  mortgage  held  by  the  brewer. 

"  Cousin  Luke  was  so  discouraged  he  didn't 


Eating-Saloon.  79 

think  of  trying  to  pay  the  debt.  But  every- 
thing has  changed ;  arid  now,  if  anybody  would 
advance  the  money,  it  could  be  repaid  in  less 
than  five  years.  I  am  sure  of  that.  Of  course, 
^Stafford  would  never  consent  to  a  transfer  of 
the  mortgage.  Nothing  less  than  money  in 
hand  would  compel  him  to  give  up  his  claim. 
He  wants  to  see  Tamson  living  in  poverty ;  but 
I  have  too  much  faith  in  God's  justice  to  be- 
lieve that  will  ever  be." 

"It  never  shall  be,  Mr.  Hill.  I  don't  know 
the  amount  of  the  mortgage,  but  there  is  timber 
enough  in  the  Brenner  woods  to  pay  a  heavy 
debt." 

"  That  is  true,  Thad,  but  it  cannot  be  touched 
so  long  as  Stafford  holds  the  mortgage.  Once 
get  the  place  out  of  his  clutches,  and  it  could 
soon  be  cleared  of  all  incumbrance.  Things 
are  working  well,  and  it  won't  hurt  Cousin 
Luke  to  feel  that  a  good  deal  is  depending 
upon  him ;  'though,  to  tell  the  truth,  Tamson 
and  Ann  and  Dolf  Turner  are  at  the  forefront 
of  the  management.  Cousin  Luke's  wife,  too, 
is  ready  to  do  her  part,  and  is  as  busy  as  any 
of  them." 

u  So  grandmother  told  me.  I  remember  Mrs. 
Brenner  when  I  was  a  boy.  I  thought  it  almost 
presumption  for  me  even  to  look  at  her,  she 
seemed  so  far  above  me." 


8o          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  She  is  only  a  mortal  woman,  Thad." 

"  I  know  that,  but  she  was  rich  and  stylish, 
and  I  was  only  a  poor,  barefooted  boy." 

"  A  pretty  wide  awake  boy." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  think  I  was  all  that,  and  alto-» 
gether  too  full  of  mischief  for  my  grandmoth- 
er's comfort.  I  must  have  been  a  trial  to  her." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  You  kept  things 
a  good  deal  stirred  up  some  of  the  time,  but 
she  was  happier  than  she  would  have  been 
alone.  We  all  need  to  feel  that  our  lives  are 
of  consequence  to  somebody  besides  ourselves." 

"  I  believe  that,  Mr.  Hill.  The  thought  of 
grandmother  in  her  little  cottage  praying  for 
me,  as  I  knew  she  did,  gave  me  courage  to  per- 
severe in  what  has  at  last  proved  a  success. 
I  felt  that  she  depended  upon  me,  and  I  would 
not  disappoint  her.  Now,  in  some  way,  I  must 
help  Mr.  Brenner.  I  never  can  repay  him  for 
his  kindness,  but  I  can  at  least  prove  my  grati- 
tude. 

"  I  could  realize  on  my  invention  at  once  by 
selling  it  outright,  but  that  would  be  the  same 
as  allowing  another  to  reap  the  largest  part  of 
the  harvest  where  I  had  sowed  the  seed.  I 
chose  to  retain  it  in  my  own  hands  and  wait  for 
results.  If  anything  could  tempt  me  to  accept 
an  offer  I  have  received,  it  would  be  that  I 
might  advance  the  money  for  Mr.  Brenner." 


Ea  ting-  Saloon.  8 1 

"  Don't  do  that,  Thad.  I  think  we  can  man- 
age it.  They  have  eight  months  longer  to  live 
on  the  place,  anyway,  and  they  will  learn  a 
great  deal  in  that  time.  Cousin  Luke's  wife  is 
just  finding  out  there  is  something  for  her  to 
do  in  the  world  besides  looking  pretty  and 
being  waited  on.  I  don't  know  as  I  ought  to 
say  that,  but  she  said  it  herself  the  last  time 
I  saw  her.  Cousin  Luke  has  taken  a  new  lease 
of  life,  and  as  for  Tamson,  she  is  busy  as  a  bee 
all  day  long." 

"  I  thought  when  I  came  through  the  lindens 
that  the  bees  were  pretty  busy." 

"  They  are,  and  that  means  a  good  deal  of 
honey  to  be  sold.  Then  there  are  the  small 
fruits.  The  bushes  are  simply  loaded." 

"  He  told  me  his  strawberries  are  beginning 
to  ripen." 

"  They  are,  and  they  will  sell  for  a  good  price 
as  fast  as  they  are  ready  for  market.  He  will 
have  an  immense  crop.  Then  there  will  be 
apples,  pears,  and  plums.  If  well  managed — 
as  I  think  it  will  be — the  place  will  give  a  good 
income  this  year.  I  hear  Stafford  planned  how 
he  would  improve  it,  'though  it  is  my  opinion 
he  don't  say  much  about  it  now." 

"  He  never  shall  have  the  Brenner  place.  I 
wish  I  was  as  sure  that  he  never  should  have 
any  of  the  boys  around  here  for  drunkards,  but 


82  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

he  will  if  they  begin  drinking  his  beer.  How 
could  the  people  vote  to  exempt  his  business 
from  taxation  for  ten  years,  when  they  knew 
he  intended  to  build  a  brewery  ?  " 

"  There  was  strong  opposition  to  it,  but  he 
made  a  good  many  believe  that  his  coming  here 
would  be  a  great  benefit  to  the  town.  We 
never  had  a  liquor-saloon  in  the  town  till  he 
came  here.  The  old  tavern  sold  liquor,  and  I 
suppose  anybody  that  wanted  it  could  get  it 
at  the  new  hotel  ;  but  the  saloon  is  for  liquor 
and  nothing  else." 

"  The  sign  reads,  '  Eating-Saloon.' r 

"  I  know  it  does,  and  I  suppose  they  have 
crackers  and  something  of  that  sort  to  eat ; 
but  it  is  my  opinion  that  drinking  is  the  prin- 
cipal thing  done  there." 

"  I  think  you  are  right  there,  Mr.  Hill.  One 
of  the  patrons  of  the  saloon  told  me  so, 
and  there  is  stronger  liquor  than  beer  sold 
there." 

"  Beer  is  the  bait  thrown  out  to  catch  the 
boys.  Black,  who  sold  Stafford  land,  has  four 
boys,  and  he  is  half  crazy  for  fear  they  will 
go  to  the  saloon.  His  wife  was  opposed  to  his 
selling  the  land,  but  he  never  would  hear  to 
her,  anyway.  She  says  it  will  be  a  just  pun- 
ishment for  him  if  his  boys  turn  drunkards ; 
but  the  punishment  would  be  hard  to  bear." 


Eating-Saloon.  83 

"  It  would  be  no  harder  for  them  than  for 
others." 

"  True,  but  we  have  no  boys  to  spare  as  a 
sacrifice  to  Stafford's  greed  for  money.  It  is 
money  he  is  after." 

"  And  money  he  will  have,  if  he  carries  out 
his  plans  for  building  a  brewery.  Brewers 
make  enormous  profits  on  their  beer.  Stafford 
is  evidently  working  now  to  create  a  home  de- 
mand for  his  beer  before  he  has  any  to  sell." 

"  Have  you  seen  him  ? " 

"  I  have  not.  I  have  no  desire  to  see  him, 
'though  some  have  told  me  that  he  is  hand- 
some and  agreeable." 

"  Some  people  call  him  handsome,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  that  he  tries  to  make  himself 
agreeable ;  but  he  has  what  I  call  a  bad  face. 
There  is  a  half-hidden  look  that  shows  what 
the  man  is.  When  he  is  off  his  guard  that 
look  is  plain  to  be  seen.  Pie  is  determined  to 
have  his  own  way.  Anybody  with  half  an  eye 
can  see  that,  and  he  calculates  to  punish  any- 
body who  opposes  him. 

"  I  presume  he  never  thought  it  possible  that 
Tamson  Brenner  would  refuse  to  marry  him, 
until  the  refusal  came.  Then  he  was  so  angry 
he  as  good  as  told  people  he  had  got  the  mit- 
ten ;  and  every  move  he  has  made  since  shows 
that  he  intends  to  be  revenged  upon  her.  She 


84  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

never  would  have  told  any  one  outside  of  her 
family  that  he  asked  her  to  marry  him,  and  now 
she  doesn't  talk  about  it." 

"  She  is  a  thousand  times  too  good  for  him, 
I  know  that,  'though  I  never  spoke  to  her  but 
once  in  my  life,  and  that  was  when  she  was  a 
little  girl." 

"  You  have  seen  her  since  you  came  home  ? " 

"I  saw  a  young  lady  at  church  with  Mr. 
Brenner.  Rather,  there  were  two  young  ladies." 

"  One  was  Ann,  the  house  girl,  as  they  call 
her  now.  She  is  a  Swede,  and  came  from  the 
city  with  them.  They  used  to  think  of  her  only 
as  a  servant;  but  now  Tamson  and  she  are 
always  together,  and  she  is  developing  into  a 
splendid  woman.  She  has  managed  indoors 
and  out  in  a  way  that  has  made  the  family  re- 
gard her  as  a  dear  friend.  I  don't  know  what 
they  would  have  done  without  her." 

"  I  think  I  saw  her  with  Dolf  Turner." 

"  I  presume  you  did.  She  is  training  him  to 
make  himself  generally  useful;  and  he  would 
go  through  fire  and  water  to  serve  her  or  any 
member  of  the  family.  There  is  nothing  want- 
ing to  save  that  place  but  a  few  thousand  dol- 
lars to  put  in  Clyde  Stafford's  hands,  and  in  less 
than  five  years  Luke  Brenner  will  owe  no  man 
anything." 

"  I  can  manage  it,  Mr.  Hill ;  I  know  T  can. 


Eating-Saloon.  85 

When  I  get  back  to  the  city  I  am  going  to  an 
old  friend  of  Mr.  Brenner's  and  tell  him  all 
about  it.  I  am  going  to  look  out,  too,  for  a 
market  for  some  of  those  old  oaks." 

"  So  do,  Thad.  They  can't  be  touched  till  the 
mortgage  is  cleared  off ;  but  as  soon  as  that  is 
paid  there  will  be  a  chance  for  some  fine  lum- 
bering." 

In  thus  planning  for  the  relief  of  a  friend  the 
time  passed  so  quickly  that  Jacob  Hill  and  his 
guest  were  greatly  surprised  when  told  that  din- 
ner waited  for  them  in  the  pleasant  kitchen. 
There  the  conversation  became  more  general; 
drifting  at  last  to  Thad  Byam's  personal  inter- 
ests. In  response  to  the  questions  of  his  friends, 
he  told  of  the  labors  and  self-denials  with  which 
his  success  had  been  purchased. 

"  I  hope  you  didn't  ever  go  really  hungry  ? " 
said  kind-hearted  Mrs.  Hill. 

"  I  think  I  never  did,"  he  replied.  "  For  one 
thing,  1  was  so  absorbed  in  my  work  I  didn't 
care  much  for  anything  else.  I  often  ate  coarse 
bread  with  nothing  but  water  for  sauce,  and  I 
could  take  a  bite  of  that  as  I  worked. 

"When  I  got  so  sleepy  my  eyes  wouldn't 
keep  open  any  longer,  I  went  to  bed.  If  it  was 
warm  weather  I  threw  myself  on  the  bed  with- 
out undressing.  That  is  not  a  good  way  to  do, 
but  it  saved  time  and  trouble." 


86  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  I  hope  you  don't  do  that  now  you  are  at 
home  ? "  said  his  grandmother. 

"No,  indeed,"  he  responded.  "  I  am  a  gentle- 
man of  leisure  for  this  month,  and  can  afford  to 
make  myself  comfortable.  I  should  not  care  to 
live  over  my  garret  life,  but  I  never  saw  a  sick 
day  through  it  all. 

"  A  young  man  who  makes  the  most  of  his 
strength,  letting  tobacco  and  liquor  alone,  ought 
to  be  able  to  do  a  great  amount  of  hard  work 
without  injury  to  himself.  I  am  none  the  worse 
for  what  I  have  done.  I  am  sound  in  wind  and 
limb ;  ready  for  any  job  grandmother  needs  to 
have  done." 

"  Thad  is  just  like  the  boy  he  always  was, 
only  I  don't  worry  about  him  now,"  remarked 
the  old  lady,  looking  upon  him  with  pardonable 
pride ;  adding  quickly :  "  I  haven't  worried 
about  him  since  he  signed  the  pledge  never  to 
taste  of  liquor  or  tobacco.  I  knew  he  wouldn't 
break  his  pledge." 


CHAPTER  X. 

SUNSET     WOODS. 

To  Sunset  Woods  to  visit  Richard  Anslow 
and  his  sister,  Miss  Rebecca. 

"  Now  that  I  have  seen  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill,  I 
must  see  my  friends  in  the  old  stone  house," 
said  Thad  Byam. 

"Certainly  you  must,"  replied  his  grand- 
mother. "The  last  time  Mr.  Anslow  called 
here  he  asked  a  good  many  more  questions 
about  you  than  I  could  answer;  and  he  wanted 
you  to  be  sure  and  make  them  a  visit  when  you 
came  home. 

"I  won't  go  with  you  there.  Some  way  I 
never  could  feel  at  home  with  Miss  Rebecca, 
'though  she's  a  nice  woman.  There's  something 
about  her  I  don't  understand.  You  will  get 
along  better  without  me." 

"  Perhaps  so,  grandmother.  There  is  a  mys- 
tery about  those  people,  and  I  always  wished  I 
could  know  more  about  them,  but  I  like  them. 
I  learned  a  good  deal  in  Mr.  Anslow's  workshop 
that  has  been  of  use  to  me." 

(87) 


88  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  He  will  be  glad  to  hear  that.  You  always 
seemed  to  get  nearer  to  them  than  anybody  else 
I  know  of." 

"  That  was  because  they  thought  I  had  done 
them  a  great  favor  by  telling  them  about  the 
cold  spring.  They  said  they  might  never  have 
found  it." 

"  That  spring  has  grown  famous.  Mr.  Anslow 
could  get  a  big  price  if  he  would  sell  it  with  the 
right  of  way  to  it  through  the  woods,  or  with  a 
few  acres  of  land  around  it.  A  company 
wanted  to  buy  it." 

"  Was  Stafford  one  of  the  company  ? " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  only  heard  what  I  told  you. 
But  Mr.  Anslow  says  he  never  will  sell  a  foot  of 
land  as  long  as  he  lives.  Are  you  going  to  walk 
over  there  ? " 

"  Of  course  1  am.  It  is  a  real  treat  to  me  to 
put  my  feet  on  the  ground  after  tramping  on 
pavements  so  long.  I  know  the  shortest  way, 
and  it  will  be  strange  if  I  don't  see  enough  as  I 
go  through  the  woods  to  make  me  forget  how 
far  it  is." 

"There  never  was  another  such  a  boy  for 
seeing  things,"  said  Mrs.  Byam  to  herself,  as  he 
started  off  at  a  swinging  gait. 

However  strange  and  unsocial  others  might 
think  the  inmates  of  the  old  stone  house,  Thad 
Byam  was  always  sure  of  a  warm  welcome,  and 


Simset   Woods.  89 

doubly  so  now  when  he  had  so  much  to  tell  that 
they  wished  to  hear.  Little  changed  were  their 
surroundings,  except  that  the  trees  had  grown 
larger,  and  there  were  more  flowers  in  the  little 
garden  than  he  had  ever  seen  there  before. 

"  I  thought  it  was  about  time  for  you  to 
come,"  said  Mr.  Anslow  after  the  first  greetings. 
"  I  didn't  suppose  you  had  forgotten  us." 

"No,  sir;  I  shall  never  forget  you  or  Miss 
Rebecca,"  was  responded  heartily.  "I  should 
miss  something  from  coming  home  if  I  could  not 
come  here." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that.  Rebecca  is  busy  in  the 
dairy,  but  she  will  be  ready  to  leave  her  work 
the  minute  she  knows  you  are  here.  People 
say  you  are  going  to  be  a  rich  man." 

u  I  am  not  sure  of  that,  'though  I  think  there 
is  a  fair  prospect  that  I  may  have  a  comfortable 
fortune  before  I  am  a  very  old  man." 

"  I  never  saw  you  when  you  seemed  uncom- 
fortable. I  have  wished  a  great  many  times 
that  I  could  feel,  for  a  single  day,  as  well  as  you 
seemed  to." 

"  You  must  have  felt  something  like  it  when 
you  were  a  boy." 

"  Boys  are  not  all  alike ;  but  anyway  I  am 
right  glad  to  see  you ";  and  then  there  came 
over  the  man's  face  the  same  expression  at  which 
his  companion  had  often  wondered. 


90          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

At  that  moment  Miss  Rebecca  came  in  smil- 
ing brightly.  She  was  a  tall,  graceful  woman, 
with  quite  the  manners  of  a  lady,  impressing  her 
visitor  with  the  feeling  that  she  had  dropped  out 
of  the  place  to  which  she  rightfully  belonged. 

"  I  shall  not  be  the  first  to  congratulate  you 
upon  your  success,  but  you  will  receive  no  con- 
gratulations more  sincere  than  mine,"  she  said, 
as  she  held  the  young  man's  hand  in  her  own. 
"  I  am  thankful  we  are  not  disappointed  in  you. 
We  have  been  eager  to  hear  everything  we  could 
about  you." 

"  And  here  I  am  to  tell  you  all  you  wish  to 
know." 

It  was  the  same  old  story,  but  the  friendly 
interest  of  the  listeners  made  the  oft-told  tale 
less  wearisome  to  the  narrator.  At  last  he 
said : 

"  Mr.  Anslow,  in  one  way  I  am  indebted  to 
you  for  much  of  my  success." 

"  How  can  that  be  ? "  was  asked  quickly. 

"  Don't  you  remember  that  you  used  to  talk 
to  me  about  your  work,  telling  me  what  you 
wished  to  make,  and  explaining  how  force  could 
be  applied  to  produce  certain  results?  You  set 
me  to  thinking.  My  visits  to  your  workshop 
were  more  to  me  than  any  school  I  ever  at- 
tended." 

"  It  does  me  good  to  hear  you  say  that.     I 


Sunset   Woods.  9 1 

have  always  had  plenty  of  ideas,  but  I  could 
not  carry  them  out  to  the  end.  It  seems  to  me 
I  have  never  really  finished  anything." 

At  this  Miss  Rebecca  shook  her  head,  saying : 

"  You  have  finished  a  great  many  things, 
Richard.  Your  life  has  not  been  so  useless  as 
you  would  have  people  think.  Now,  while  I 
am  attending  to  the  dairy  and  preparing  din- 
ner, you  and  Thaddeus  can  go  to  the  workshop." 

"  I  should  be  glad  to  see  the  inside  of  that 
shop  again,"  responded  the  young  man,  whose 
name  had  always  been  given  its  full  measure 
in  this  house.  "  I  have  wished  many  and  many 
a  time,  when  I  was  working  in  my  garret,  that 
I  could  lease  your  shop  with  the  tools  in  it." 

"  You  could  have  had  the  use  of  it  all  and 
welcome,"  was  replied.  "  I  cannot  imagine  how 
you  could  accomplish  so  much  with  so  little." 

"  I  did  it  because  I  felt  that  I  must.  I  seemed 
to  have  no  choice  in  the  matter." 

There  was  the  shop,  looking  much  as  it  did 
ten  years  before,  with  unfinished  pieces  of  work 
heaped  upon  the  bench  which  occupied  a  large 
part  of  the  room. 

"  Here  is  the  very  thing  which  set  me  to 
thinking,"  exclaimed  Thad  Byam,  pointing  to 
a  simple  cog- wheel  with  lever  attached. 

"  Your  invention  cannot  be  anything  like 
that  \ " 


92          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  No,  Mr.  An  slow,  it  is  not ;  but  all  the  same, 
that  gave  me  the  idea  which  kept  running  in 
my  head  until  it  brought  other  ideas  with  it. 
I  can  describe  it  in  no  other  way.  I  worked 
from  the  light  I  had,  and  so  more  light  was 
given.  Of  course  I  experimented,  and  my  ex- 
periments were  often  failures ;  but  I  learned 
something  from  every  failure,  and  I  never  made 
the  same  mistake  twice." 

"  You  are  a  brave  man.  But  what  if  after 
all  you  had  failed  in  the  end  ? " 

"  I  should  have  started  over  again  on  a  new 
track.  But  it  could  not  be  an  entire  failure, 
because  I  had  gained  so  much  experience  as  a 
worker,  that  I  could  command  higher  wages 
than  before.  Not  the  least,  too,  of  what  I  gained 
was  the  steady  application  and  perseverance 
that  will  make  me  a  better  man  as  long  as  I 
live." 

"  That  must  be  so,  my  young  friend.  I  told 
you  my  whole  life  had  been  like  these  pieces 
of  work.  I  could  begin  well,  but  I  lacked  the 
application  and  perseverance  necessary  to  com- 
plete my  work.  It  does  me  good  to  see  and 
talk  with  one  who  has  accomplished  so  much. 
I  expected  a  good  deal  of  you.  When  you 
signed  a  pledge  of  total  abstinence  from  liquor 
and  tobacco,  you  laid  a  foundation,  broad  and 
deep,  for  the  best  of  which  you  were  capable." 


Sunset   Woods.  93 

u  That  pledge  was  my  salvation,  Mr.  Anslow. 
Without  it  I  should  not  have  been  so  strong  to 
resist  temptation  ;  and  if  I  had  once  acquired 
the  habit  of  spending  my  evenings  in  beer  gar- 
dens or  saloons,  I  could  never  have  turned  away 
from  them  to  work  hour  after  hour  in  my  lonely 
garret." 

"  You  would  not  have  had  the  strength  to 
do  it." 

"  I  should  have  had  neither  strength  nor  in- 
clination to  do  it.  I  should  have  just  drifted 
through  one  evening  after  another;  spending 
my  wages  as  fast,  as  I  earned  them,  and  grow- 
ing more  restless  and  reckless  every  day.  There 
are  thousands  and  thousands  of  young  men 
doing  just  that." 

"  Yes,  and  at  the  same  time  complaining  of 
bad  luck  and  an  unequal  distribution  of  this 
world's  goods.  They  are  discouraged  before 
they  know  what  they  might  do,  and  old  before 
they  realize  what  a  fortune  they  have  in  the 
strength  and  vigor  of  youth.  Beer,  too,  is  in 
the  end  worse  for  them  than  whiskey." 

"  It  leads  to  whiskey." 

"  I  know  it  does,  but  it  often  poisons  a  man's 
blood  before  he  takes  to  whiskey ;  and  just  be- 
cause he  can  drink  so  much  of  it  without  be- 
coming absolutely  intoxicated,  I  count  it  the 
worst  of  all  drinks.  I  count  the  young  man 


94          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

doomed  who  begins  with  beer.  A  beer  drunk- 
ard is  the  most  disgusting  drunkard  of  all." 

"  I  agree  with  you  in  that,  Mr.  Anslow.  Yet 
some  people  talk  about  drinking  beer  to  keep 
a  man  from  intemperance." 

"  1  know  they  do,  but  they  who  talk  in  that 
way  are  either  fools  or  liars.  Think  of  a  brew- 
ery in  your  town  among  these  grand  old  hills  ! 
It  is  a  desecration.  It  seems  as  though  the 
voters  of  the  town  must  have  been  crazy  to 
allow  Stafford  to  come  there  and  exempt  him 
from  taxation.  He  will  bring  money  into  the 
town,  but  with  it  he  will  bring  a  class  of  work- 
men different  from  any  about  here  now." 

"And  with  them  drunkenness,  Sabbath- 
breaking,  and  profanity.  I  don't  suppose  I 
should  have  had  any  influence;  but  if  I  had 
been  at  home  I  would  have  lifted  up  my  voice 
against  it." 

"  If  I  had  lived  in  your  town  I  would  have 
made  some  plain  statements  of  facts  that  I  can 
substantiate  by  the  highest  medical  authority, 
although  I  presume  Dr.  Lash  would  have  dis- 
puted me.  He  recommends  beer  to  his  patients 
as  the  best  tonic  they  can  take." 

"So  grandmother  told  me;  and  if  he  uses 
stimulants  as  people  say  he  does,  his  judgment 
is  not  to  be  trusted  in  anything.  Jacob  Hill 
says  he  has  no  doubt  that  Stafford  paid  him 


Sunset   Woods.  95 

a  large  fee  for  praising  beer  as  a  healthful 
drink." 

"  I  presume  he  did.  I  have  heard  there  was 
a  good  deal  of  money  distributed  around  where 
it  would  buy  votes  and  influence." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  Mr.  Anslow.  Jacob  Hill  told 
me  there  were  more  bottles  of  liquor  carried  to 
town  meeting  when  the  vote  was  taken  to  ex- 
empt Stafford's  business  from  taxation,  than 
was  ever  seen  at  such  a  meeting  before.  Every- 
body who  would  could  take  a  drink.  It  was 
just  handed  'round,  free  to  all.  Of  course  Staf- 
ford paid  for  it  and  found  it  a  good  investment." 

"  He  knew  how  to  manage  that.  He  would 
stop  at  nothing,  if  he  could  carry  his  point. 
He  will  be  a  curse  to  the  town,  the  county,  and 
the  State.  I  hear,  too,  that  he  is  determined  to 
ruin  Mr.  Brenner  because  Miss  Brenner  refused 
to  be  his  wife." 

"In  that  he  will  find  himself  checkmated. 
Mr.  Brenner  has  friends  who  will  come  to  the 


rescue." 


"  I  think  he  has.  Miss  Brenner  called  here 
last  summer,  and  Rebecca  was  delighted  with 
her.  She  came  with  a  party  to  visit  the  spring, 
but  was  alone  when  she  called  here." 

"  You  will  not  sell  the  spring,  Mr.  Anslow  ? " 
"  Never.     Neither  will  my  sister.     After  we 
are  both  gone  it  will  not  matter  to  us." 


96  Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

This  last  remark  introduced  a  new  topic  of 
conversation,  which  at  last  drifted  back  to  the 
workshop,  and  was  continued  until  Miss  Re- 
becca appeared  to  summon  them  to  dinner. 

They  had  not  been  long  at  the  table  when  a 
bareheaded,  barefooted  boy  appeared  outside 
the  door  and  called  Mr.  Anslow. 

"What  is  the  matter?"  asked  the  gentleman 
kindly ;  going  to  the  boy,  and  with  his  hand 
smoothing  the  tangled  curls  which  were  evi- 
dently quite  unused  to  being  smoothed. 

"Father  is  bad  to-day,  just  like  he  used  to  be, 
and  I  was  afraid  he  would  hurt  Lessie,"  replied 
the  boy,  striving  to  repress  his  sobs. 

"  Where  is  Lessie  ? " 

"  Behind  the  shed.  I  thought  perhaps  you 
would  let  her  stay  here  till  father  gets  better." 

"What  will  you  do?" 

"  Go  back  and  take  care  of  father.  I  don't  mind 
his  hurting  me,  but  I  can't  let  him  hurt  Lessie." 

"  Wait  till  we  have  had  our  dinner  and  I  will 
go  home  with  you." 

"Don't  let  father  know  I  told  you  he  was 
bad.  He  would  most  kill  me  if  you  did.  He 
won't  mind  Lessie's  being  gone,  because  she  stays 
away  from  him  mostly.  I'm  sorry,  but  her  dress 
is  awful  torn.  I  can't  get  used  to  sewing,  and 
she  runs  in  the  woods  with  me  so  much  she  tears 
her  dress  awful." 


Sunset   Woods.  97 

"  Never  mind  about  that,  John.  Bring  her 
here,  and  we  will  take  care  of  her.  Have  you 
had  your  dinner?" 

"No,  sir;  there  wasn't  any  dinner;  but  I 
don't  care  for  any,  if  you  will  only  be  good 
enough  to  give  Lessie  a  piece  of  bread." 

"  You  shall  both  of  you  have  dinner  when  we 
are  through." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Anslow ;  you  are  so  good.  Father 
has  been  good,  too,  till  he  went  off  yesterday 
and  came  back  with  a  bottle  full  of  something 
awful  for  him  to  drink,  instead  of  something 
for  us  to  eat.  Lessie  and  I  were  so  afraid  we 
crept  up-stairs  and  hid  under  the  eaves.  Now 
I  don't  know  what  will  become  of  us." 

"Don't  be  discouraged,  my  lad.  You  and 
Lessie  shall  have  a  good  dinner,  and  I  will  go 
over  and  see  your  father." 


CHAPTER  XL 

AT   THE   OLD    JOYCE   HOUSE. 

"  HAVEE  is  a  new  neighbor,  living  in  the 
Joyce  house,"  said  Mr.  Anslow,  as  he  resumed 
his  seat  at  the  table.  "  While  the  children  are 
eating  their  dinner  I  will  go  over  and  see  what 
condition  he  is  in." 

"  I  would  like  to  go  with  you,"  responded 
Thad  Byam.  "  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  have 
been  that  way,  but  when  I  was  a  boy  I  used  to 
go  to  the  house  with  my  grandmother.  She  and 
old  Mrs.  Joyce  were  good  friends,  and  always 
exchanged  visits  two  or  three  times  a  year. 
They  walked  the  distance,  too ;  so  a  visit  was 
quite  an  event  with  them. 

"I  used  to  wonder  what  they  could  find  to 
talk  about  so  long  and  so  fast.  They  were  both 
poor,  and  working  hard  to  earn  a  living,  'though 
Mrs.  Joyce  was  worse  off  than  grandmother; 
because  she  had  a  drunken  son  and  his  family 
hanging  on  her.  When  she  died  the  family  was 
broken  up,  and  I  never  knew  what  became  of 
them." 

"They  were  gone  before  I  came,  and  the 
(98) 


At  the  Old  Joyce  House.  99 

house  has  been  empty  most  of  the  time.  Haver 
went  in  there  because  he  was  tired  of  tramping 
and  must  have  a  shelter  of  some  kind  for  him- 
self and  his  children." 

During  the  walk  to  the  Joyce  house  more 
was  told  of  the  wretched  man  who  had  brought 
his  entire  worldly  possessions  in  a  pack  which 
he  said  he  had  carried  for  more  than  a  hundred 
miles.  He  had  obtained  some  work  among  the 
farmers,  who  had  paid  him  in  food  and  pieces 
of  old  furniture,  which  had  helped  to  make  his 
poor  home  more  comfortable. 

The  owner  of  the  house  of  which  he  had 
taken  possession  lived  in  a  distant  town,  so  that 
he  was  not  likely  to  be  troubled  in  regard  to 
rent ;  the  less  so,  as  it  was  considered  of  little 
value.  Summer  rains  and  winter  snows  found 
their  way  through  the  fast  decaying  roof,  while 
doors  sagged  upon  their  hinges  and  windows 
admitted  every  passing  breeze. 

As  Mr.  Anslow  and  his  companion  came  near 
the  house  they  heard  angry  shouts  and  threats 
of  vengeance  upon  the  children,  whose  names 
were  mingled  with  terrible  oaths.  Then  fol- 
lowed crash  upon  crash,  after  which  the  raving 
man  appeared  for  a  moment  at  an  open  window, 
brandishing  his  arms  as  if  menacing  some  in- 
visible foe. 

"He  is  stark  mad,"  exclaimed  Thad  Byam. 


ioo         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  He  will  destroy  everything  he  can  lay  his 
hands  on.  He  needs  a  cold-water  douche,  and 
with  your  permission  I  will  undertake  to  ad- 
minister it.  That  will  bring  him  to  his  senses 
sooner  than  anything  else.  He  is  like  a  wild 
beast." 

"He  must  have  brought  liquor  home  with 
him  last  evening,  and  he  will  probably  keep  on 
drinking  until  that  is  gone.  He  told  me  once 
that  as  soon  as  he  got  a  taste  of  liquor  he  cared 
for  nothing  else.  I  think  he  killed  his  wife.  I 
don't  know  as  he  shot  her  or  beat  her  to  death, 
yet  I  am  sure  he  considers  himself  her  murderer. 
But  we  must  hurry  or  he  will  smash  everything 
in  the  house  to  splinters." 

For  the  next  five  minutes  there  was  a  fierce 
struggle,  in  which,  at  last,  Mr.  Haver  was  over- 
powered ;  to  find  himself  deluged  with  cold 
water  until  he  begged  for  mercy.  Then  he  was 
assisted  to  his  feet  and  ordered  to  "  walk  lively," 
which  order  he  obeyed  as  well  as  his  condition 
would  allow. 

Meanwhile  Mr.  Anslow  found  a  flask  partly 
filled  with  liquor,  which  he  emptied,  thus  call- 
ing forth  a  yell  of  rage  from  its  owner.  Pres- 
ently, however,  he  became  more  quiet,  although 
still  compelled  to  remain  upon  his  feet. 

"  I  can  manage  him  now,  and  my  sister  would 
be  sorry  to  miss  the  opportunity  for  a  friendly 


At  the  Old  Joyce  House.  101 

talk  with  you,"  said  the  elder  man  after  a  short 
time.  "  She  is  getting  to  be  an  old  woman ; 
but  her  heart  will  never  grow  old,  and  she 
counts  you  as  one  of  her  friends.  She  certainly 
is  a  friend  to  you." 

"  I  am  honored  by  her  friendship,  Mr.  Anslow. 
I  had  many  friends  when  I  was  a  boy,  and  I  re- 
ceived a  great  deal  of  good  advice,  but  Miss 
Rebecca  talked  to  me  differently  from  any  other 
one.  I  thought  she  was  the  grandest  lady  in 
the  world." 

"She  might  have  lived  like  a  grand  lady, 
with  servants  at  her  call,  if  she  had  loved  her 
brother  less.  I  can  never  half  repay  her  for  her 
kindness  and  devotion.  She  ought  to  be  in  a 
different  home,  and  I  know  she  misses  many 
things  to  which  she  was  once  accustomed,  but 
she  never  complains." 

"  Your  pardon,  Mr.  Anslow ;  but  I  have  won- 
dered why  you  came  to  live  in  such  a  lonely 
place." 

"  It  is  not  strange  that  you  should  wonder. 
Sometime  I  may  tell  you  all  about  it.  It  was 
not  because  we  were  too  poor  to  live  elsewhere." 

"I  never  thought  that,  Mr.  Anslow.  When 
I  was  a  boy  I  thought  you  must  be  very  rich, 
you  had  so  many  books  and  papers,  and  a  great 
many  things,  such  as  I  didn't  see  in  other 
houses.  Once  or  twice  I  had  a  peep  into  your 


IO2         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

china  closet,  and  I  was  sure  no  one  could  have 
what  I  called  such  pretty  dishes  unless  they 
were  very  rich." 

"  We  are  not  very  rich,  but  we  have  enough 
to  keep  us  in  comfort,  so  we  need  not  worry 
about  the  future." 

This  was  more  than  Thad  Byam  had  before 
known  of  these  friends,  although  as  he  said, 
when  he  was  a  boy  he  had  thought  them  rich. 
They  did  not  mingle  much  with  their  neigh- 
bors, except  when  they  could  render  some  kind 
service. 

The  hours  spent  with  them  had  been  much 
to  the  poor  lad  whom  so  many  regarded  simply 
as  one  to  be  tolerated  for  a  longer  or  shorter 
time,  as  circumstances  might  determine. 

Miss  Rebecca  was  expecting  him.  John  and 
Lessie  Haver  were  eating  their  dinner,  which 
they  would  enjoy  all  the  more  if  left  to  them- 
selves. 

"Their  father  is  a  wretch,"  said  the  young 
man.  "  He  ought  to  be  shut  up  where  it  would 
be  impossible  for  him  to  get  a  drop  of  liquor." 

"Somebody  sold  him  the  liquor,  Thaddeus. 
It  is  not  likely  any  one  gave  it  to  him.  The 
liquor-seller  should  bear  his  full  share  of  pun- 
ishment. In  this  case  I  believe  some  one  ejse 
deserves  quite  as  much  blame  as  Mr.  Haver.  I 
don't  hear  much  of  what  is  done  in  the  village, 


At  the  Old  Joyce  House.  103 

but  I  have  been  told  that  there  are  men  there 
determined  to  drag  every  other  man  down  to 
their  own  level.  They  drink  liquor,  and  they 
are  angry  if  any  one  objects  to  it." 

"I  suppose  the  new  saloon  furnishes  the 
liquor." 

"  That  is  what  I  have  been  told,  and  I  pre- 
sume, if  the  truth  could  be  known,  Mr.  Haver 
was  persuaded  to  go  into  the  saloon  and  take  a 
drink.  He  couldn't  have  had  much  money,  but 
John  says  he  had  enough  to  buy  a  big  bag  of 
flour.  He  told  me,  himself,  that  in  his  father's 
house  everybody  drank  beer,  and  thought  it  as 
harmless  as  water." 

"  If  he  was  like  most  other  beer-drinkers,  he 
wanted  something  stronger  after  a  while." 

"  Yes,  he  did ;  but  now,  Thaddeus,  tell  me 
more  of  yourself." 

Listening  then  to  a  more  detailed  account  of 
his  manner  of  living,  as  he  planned  and  experi- 
mented, she  said  earnestly : 

"  How  happy  I  should  have  been  to  give  you 
the  best  dinner  I  could  prepare.  Bread  and 
water  is  prisoners'  diet." 

"But  I  was  not  a  prisoner,  Miss  Rebecca.  I 
had  the  largest  liberty,  because  I  had  the  power 
of  choice." 

"  I  should  have  pitied  you  had  I  known  how 
you  were  living." 


IO4         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  I  never  pitied  myself.  I  was  only  sacrific- 
ing a  lesser  good  for  a  greater.  My  grand- 
mother used  to  tell  me  over  and  over  again  that 
nothing  great  or  good  was  ever  accomplished 
without  some  sacrifice.  It  was  hard  to  make 
me  believe  it,  but  when  I  was  once  convinced  I 
determined  to  make  the  sacrifice,  whatever  it 
might  be. 

"  I  don't  know  yet  what  will  be  required  of 
me.  As  I  look  back  it  does  not  seem  much  for 
me  to  have  lived  and  dressed  plainly.  Instead 
of  pitying  me,  Miss  Rebecca,  you  would  have 
been  amused  if  you  had  seen  me  counting  my 
money  and  calculating  to  a  penny  how  much  I 
could  afford  to  spend  on  myself  and  still  have 
enough  left  to  pay  for  the  material  necessary  for 
my  work.  It  was  close  counting." 

"And  I  make  no  doubt  you  got  the  most 
your  money  would  pay  for." 

"  I  think  I  did.  In  a  good  many  ways  I  was 
like  a  boy,  as  I  am  now.  I  was  just  as  eager 
for  my  Sunday  morning  breakfast  as  I  ever  was 
for  the  turnovers  grandmother  used  to  make  for 
me.  As  you  have  seen,  I  still  have  a  boy's  ap- 
petite." 

"  That  is  an  especial  blessing.  Thaddeus,  you 
have  a  great  deal  for  which  to  be  thankful.  You 
have  good  health,  good  habits,  and  good  pros- 
pects for  the  future.  If  you  should  become  rich 


At  the  Old  Joyce  House.  105 

you  will  know  how  to  make  the  most  and  best 
of  what  you  have.  It  is  the  dram-selling  and 
dram-drinking  that  makes  a  large  part  of  the 
poverty  and  suffering  in  the  world.  You  must 
have  learned  that." 

"  Indeed  I  have,  Miss  Rebecca.'.' 

"Not  as  I  have  learned  it,  Thaddeus.  Oh! 
I  thought  I  would  never  say  another  word  about 
it ;  but  the  fire  burns,  and  sometimes  the  flames 
will  burst  forth." 

This  exclamation  was  followed  by  a  somewhat 
prolonged  silence,  broken  at  length  by  John 
Haver,  who  came  to  the  door  of  the  sitting- 
room  to  thank  Miss  Rebecca  for  such  a  good 
dinner,  and  apologize  for  having  eaten  so  much. 

"  I  didn't  mean  to,"  he  said  shyly. 

"  Go  back  and  eat  more,"  answered  Miss  Re- 
becca with  a  smile.  "  I  wish  you  and  Lessie  to 
eat  all  you  can.  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you 
clear  the  table." 

"  I  guess  Lessie  will,  because  she  didn't  want 
so  much  as  I  did.  I  gave  her  most  all  there 
was  yesterday,  and  saved  a  crust  for  her  this 
morning." 

"Why,  child,  didn't  you  have  anything  to 
eat  yesterday  ? " 

"  No,  ma'am,  not  after  breakfast,  and  I  only 
had  just  a  little  then,  because,  you  know,  I 
couldn't  let  Lessie  be  hungry.  Mother  told  me 


io6         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

not  to ;  and  she  said  if  father  was  very  bad,  I 
must  take  Lessie  away  where  he  couldn't  find 
her. 

"  I  don't  know  but  I'll  have  to  take  her  away 
now,  'though  I'll  be  awful  sorry  to;  we've  had 
such  a  beautiful  time  ever  since  we  came  to  the 
house  where  we've  been  staying.  Lessie  hasn't 
been  real  hungry  once  till  this  time,  and  I 
haven't  been  hungry  much." 

"  Well,  now,  John,  just  go  back  to  the  table 
and  finish  your  dinner,  and  by  and  by  we  will 
talk  about  what  you  better  do." 

When  Mr.  Anslow  returned  he  reported  his 
neighbor  as  sleeping  soundly. 

"  I  gave  him  a  vigorous  rubbing  and  got  him 
into  dry  clothing,  and  by  that  time  he  began  to 
appreciate  the  situation.  The  first  thing,  he 
asked  me  where  his  children  were ;  and  when  I 
told  him  they  were  safe  he  was  evidently  much 
relieved. 

"  In  reply  to  my  questions  he  acknowledged 
that  he  went  into  the  saloon  and  drank  there, 
and  afterward  bought  a  flask  of  liquor  to  bring 
home  with  him.  He  said  he  had  no  idea  of  do- 
ing it,  but  some  young  men  halt'  pushed  him  in 
and  put  a  glass  of  liquor  to  his  lips. 

"  He  said  he  started  for  home  with  a  full  flask, 
and  didn't  taste  of  liquor  on  the  way,  but  drank 
last  night  and  again  this  morning.  He  will 


At  the  Old  Joyce  House.  107 

sleep  now  for  a  few  hours.  What  he  will  do 
when  he  wakes  no  one  can  tell.  1  presume  he 
did  not  tell  me  the  exact  truth,  but  I  think  that 
in  the  main  his  story  was  correct. 

"  If  this  is  the  beginning  of  the  better  times 
Stafford  claims  to  have  in  store  for  your  town, 
God  only  knows  what  will  be  the  ending." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

HOW    TO    BE    HIGH. 

THADDEUS  BYAM  went  down  the  village 
street;  not  whistling  as  was  his  wont,  but 
striding  along  without  uttering  a  sound,  look- 
ing neither  to  the  right  hand  nor  the  left  until 
he  came  to  where  several  men  were  busily  at 
work  with  pickaxe  and  spade. 

"  So  you  are  all  here,"  he  said,  addressing  a 
group  of  three,  at  a  little  distance  from  others. 

"Yes,  we  are  here,"  was  replied  a  little 
gruffly.  "  Where  else  should  we  be  ?  We  are 
not  so  rich  that  we  can  afford  to  take  a  vaca- 
tion and  go  into  the  country  to  enjoy  ourselves." 

"  I  can  tell  you  how  to  do  it,"  responded  the 
newcomer. 

"  How  to  be  rich  ? " 

"  Yes ;  it  is  easy  enough." 

"  Then  tell  away.     We  want  to  know." 

"  Spend  less  than  you  earn.  Stop  drinking 
liquor  of  every  kind  and  throw  away  your  pipes 
and  tobacco.  Keep  right  on  at  work,  and  when 
the  year  comes  'round  you  will  begin  to  be  rich." 

(108) 


How  to  be  Rich.  109 

"Just  what  I  expected.  But  you  will  have 
to  preach  somewhere  else  before  you  get  any 
converts.  That  kind  of  nonsense  won't  go  down 
here.  If  luck  is  against  us  we  can't  turn  it  that 
way,  and  you  know  it.  Because  you  are  better 
off  than  we  are,  it's  no  reason  you  should  stand 
there  and  tell  us  what  to  do." 

"  That  may  be,  but  there  is  a  good  reason 
why  I  should  tell  you  what  not  to  do." 

"  What  is  it  ? "  asked  Tim  Durrell. 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question  before  I  answer 
yours,  and  I  shall  believe  whatever  you  say. 
You  always  used  to  tell  the  truth,  no  matter 
where  it  hit,  and  I  expect  you  will  now." 

"  Go  ahead  with  your  question.  I  don't  know 
as  IVe  any  occasion  for  telling  you  a  lie." 

"  No  more  have  you,  Tim.  Do  you  know  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Haver  who  lives  in  the  old 
Joyce  house  ? " 

"I  have  seen  him,"  was  replied,  after  some 
hesitation. 

"  Did  you  see  him  day  before  yesterday  ? " 

Again  Tim  Durrell  hesitated,  but  at  length 
came  the  reply : 

"Yes." 

"  Do  you  know  who  asked  him  to  go  into  the 
saloon,  and  when  he  refused,  pushed  him  in  and 
put  a  glass  of  liquor  to  his  lips  ? " 

"It's  none  of  your   business,  Thad   Byam, 


1 1  o         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

You  can't  rule  all  creation.  What  is  Haver  to 
you,  anyway?  You  needn't  come  'round  here 
showing  off  and  expecting  us  to  knuckle  to  you, 
for  we  sha'n't  do  it." 

This  was  said  by  Dick  Wilson  and  empha- 
sized with  an  oath,  but  neither  Thad  Byarn  nor 
Tim  Durrell  gave  him  any  heed. 

"  I  suppose  I  know  all  about  it,"  said  the  lat- 
ter. "  I  was  in  the  scrape.  I  didn't  think  we 
were  doing  any  hurt.  I  didn't  suppose  he  would 
drink  so  much." 

"  You  didn't  suppose,  either,  that  he  had  a 
boy  and  girl  at  home  waiting  for  him  to  bring 
them  something  to  eat.  You  didn't  suppose  he 
would  get  so  crazy  drunk  tliat  they  would  be  in 
danger  of  being  killed  by  him. 

"I  saw  them  yesterday,  half  starved.  The 
girl's  name  is  Lessie,  and  she  looks  as  your 
sister  Lizzie  did  the  summer  before  she  died.  I 
thought  of  Lizzie  the  minute  I  set  eyes  on  her. 
The  poor  child  was  nearly  starved,  and  would 
have  been  worse  off  if  her  brother  hadn't  gone 
without  food  himself  so  that  she  could  have  more. 
It  is  a  hard  thing  to  see  such  children  hungry.  If 
Lizzie  had  lived,  you  wouldn't  let  her  go  hungry." 

"  That  I  wouldn't,"  was  responded  in  a  husky 
voice. 

"  Would  you  give  up  liquor  and  tobacco  for 
her,  Tim?" 


How  to  be  Rich.  1 1 1 

"I  would  give  up  anything  for  her.  You 
know  I  would." 

"  I  hope  you  would,  Tim.  But  why  couldn't 
you  let  Haver  alone  ?  What  harm  had  he  ever 
done  you  ? " 

"  Not  any ;  and  I  didn't  mean  to  do  him  any 
harm." 

"  Here,  Tim,  let  me  talk  a  while,"  exclaimed 
Dick  Wilson.  "We  thought  Haver  wanted 
some  liquor,  and  might  as  well  have  it  as  to  go 
without.  There  were  half  a  dozen  or  more  of 
us  in  the  scrape,  and  it's  none  of  your  business 
about  it.  It  makes  me  mad  to  see  folks  setting 
themselves  up  to  be  so  awful  good.  I  was  mad 
when  you  signed  the  pledge  I've  heard  so  much 
about.  That  was  when  you  begun,  and  now  it 
seems  as  though  you  thought  you  owned  the 
town.  Better  buy  the  Brenner  place  and  set 
up  for  a  country  gentleman." 

"  I  wish  I  did  own  the  town,  Dick.  If  I  did 
there  never  would  be  a  brewery  here.  That 
saloon  would  be  closed  in  five  minutes,  and  the 
liquor  cleared  out  of  the  old  tavern.  There 
wouldn't  be  a  drop  of  the  stuff  to  be  bought  or 
sold,  if  I  could  have  my  way.  Does  Stafford 
own  the  saloon  \ " 

"  You  might  ask  him.  He  knows  all  about 
it,  and  he  is  coming  this  way." 

Thad  By  am  turned  to  look  at  Clyde  Stafford, 


112         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

and  was  surprised  to  see  so  young  a  man.  He 
came  nearer,  stopping  to  speak  with  the  work- 
men, for  each  of  whom  he  had  a  pleasant  word. 

"  Have  I  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr.  Byam  ? " 
he  asked  directly  after. 

"  My  name  is  Byam,"  was  replied  somewhat 
coldly. 

"  A  name  to  which  you  have  done  honor. 
Your  towns-people  are  justly  proud  of  you,  and 
you  in  turn  have  reason  to  be  proud  of  your 
town.  It  only  needs  more  business  to  bring  in 
more  money,  and  it  will  soon  be  one  of  the  first 
towns  in  the  State.  Business  will  be  lively  here 
this  summer.  With  a  good  home  market,  as 
they  are  likely  to  have,  the  farmers  will  realize 
better  profits  from  their  land.  I  am  very  glad 
to  have  met  you,  Mr.  Byam.  One  is  naturally 
curious  to  see  a  young  man  who  has  accom- 
plished what  you  have,  and  whose  praises  are 
in  every  mouth." 

All  this  was  said  in  the  most  cordial  manner, 
yet  he  to  whom  it  was  addressed  made  no  re- 
sponse. At  last  the  speaker  added,  with  some 
confusion : 

"  I  don't  know  but  I  have  interrupted  a  con- 
fidential interview  between  old  friends.  If  so, 
I  beg  your  pardon." 

"It  ain't  nothing  confidential,"  said  Lufkin 
Brown,  who  prided  himself  upon  not  being 


How  to  be  Rich.  113 

afraid  to  speak  his  mind  before  anybody. 
"Thad  is  one  of  the  cold-water  men,  and  he's 
got  a  gift  for  preaching.  He's  just  down  on 
liquor  and  tobacco ;  and  as  for  the  brewery,  it 
will  ruin  all  the  men  and  boys  within  twenty 
miles.  That's  what's  the  matter  with  him." 

"I  shall  hope  to  prove  that  he  is  mistaken 
about  the  brewery,"  answered  Clyde  Stafford. 
"  As  for  the  rest,  I  am  willing  every  man  should 
judge  for  himself." 

"  So  am  I,  under  certain  conditions,"  re- 
sponded Thaddeus  Byam.  "  But  when  a  man 
is  struggling  to  gain  a  foothold  where  he  can 
stand  firmly,  I  don't  believe  in  pushing  him 
down  into  the  bottomless  pit." 

"  No  more  do  I,  Mr.  Byam.  I  believe  in  help- 
ing everybody.  I  have  taken  a  fancy  to  this 
town,  and  I  intend  to  make  my  home  here.  Of 
course  I  wish  to  help  develop  its  resources  and 
improve  things  all  around." 

"Not  much  help,  Mr.  Stafford,  in  taking  a 
man's  money  for  what  he  doesn't  need  and  what 
he  is  better  off  without.  To  my  mind,  that  is 
what  every  brewer  and  seller  of  beer  is  doing." 

"You  have  a  right  to  your  opinion,  Mr. 
Byam,  but  it  is  well  for  my  enterprise  that  the 
majority  of  your  towns-people  thought  differ- 
ently. I  propose  to  bring  money  into  the  town 
instead  of  taking  it  away." 


1 1 4         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  What  else  will  you  bring,  Mr.  Stafford  ? 
You  will  bring  temptation  to  evil  habits,  and 
for  every  dollar  you  leave  here  you  will  take 
five  from  the  pockets  of  your  patrons.  I  did 
not  seek  this  interview,  and  I  suppose  it  would 
hardly  be  called  polite  for  me  to  condemn  your 
business  at  our  first  meeting ;  but  I  do  condemn 
it  wholly  and  entirely." 

"You  have  the  characteristic  of  frankness, 
Mr.  Byam ;  but  in  this  matter  I  have  the  inside 
track  and  propose  to  keep  it.  You  will  find  it 
hard  to  make  people  believe  that  cold  water  is 
the  only  drink  fit  for  a  civilized  man.  Some- 
thing more  is  wanted  to  stimulate  the  brain  and 
quicken  the  blood ;  and  in  providing  for  this 
want,  I  claim  that  brewers  are  benefiting  the 
country. 

u  A  rnan  can't  do  the  best  work  of  which  he 
is  capable  on  such  meagre  diet  as  temperance 
fanatics  describe.  Excuse  me.  I  wish  to  ex- 
plain. I  am  a  temperance  man,  but  such  intem- 
perate denunciation  of  some  of  the  good  things 
the  Lord  has  given  us,  seems  to  me  absolute 
fanaticism,  if  nothing  worse." 

"  I  never  heard  that  the  Lord  gave  us  beer." 

"  He  has  given  us  the  material  for  making  it, 
as  He  has  given  us  the  material  for  making 
bread.  The  same  principle  of  fermentation  is 
applied  in  one  case  as  in  the  other." 


How  to  be  Rich.  115 

"  That  may  be,  but  woe  be  to  the  man  who 
takes  what  should  be  made  into  bread  for  the 
hungry  and  worse  than  wastes  it  by  transform- 
ing it  into  beer." 

"  Did  you  ever  drink  a  glass  of  beer,  Mr. 
Byam  ?  Do  you  know  what  it  is  ? " 

"  It  is  enough  for  me  to  know  what  it  does. 
In  all  my  life  I  have  drank  one  glass,  and  only 


one." 


"  If  you  had  drank  more  you  would  be  better 
able  to  judge  of  its  effects ;  and,  I  venture  to 
say,  you  would  be  in  better  health." 

"  Better  health  !  I  am  perfectly  well.  I  don't 
remember  that  I  was  ever  sick  in  my  life,  except 
when  I  tried  to  learn  to  use  tobacco ;  and  I 
have  sometimes  worked  twenty  hours  out  of 
twenty-four.  My  stomach  is  all  right,  my  head 
never  aches,  and  I  am  good  for  a  ten-mile  tramp 
any  time.  Can  you  beat  that  record,  Mr.  Staf- 
ford?" 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  can,  Mr.  Byam,  but  you 
must  acknowledge  that  not  many  can  do  what 
you  claim  for  yourself." 

"  More  could  do  it  if  they  would  let  tobacco 
and  all  alcoholic  drinks  alone.  They  are  what 
take  the  strength  and  poison  the  blood  of  so 
many  young  men.  They  take  the  money  too. 
I  know  men  who  spend  half  their  wages  for 
beer  and  tobacco,  and  no  one  can  make  me  be- 


1 1 6         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

lieve  they  are  better  otf  for  wasting  their  money 
on  the  vile  stuff." 

That  Stafford  was  getting  the  worst  of  the 
argument  was  quite  apparent  to  the  listeners, 
who  were  now  as  ready  to  applaud  their  old 
companion  as  they  had  been  to  condemn  him  a 
few  minutes  before.  They  approved  of  the 
brewery.  They  had  been  paid  liberally  for  their 
votes;  nevertheless,  they  enjoyed  the  discom- 
fiture of  one  who  could  ride  while  they  walk- 
ed, and  stand  idle  while  they  worked.  Equal, 
however,  to  the  occasion  was  the  man  who  said 
courteously : 

"  I  trust,  Mr.  By  am,  you  will  some  day  change 
your  opinion  of  me.  I  cannot  confess  to  being 
a  thief  and  a  robber,  although  I  claim  the  privi- 
lege of  supplying  the  demand  for  a  healthy 
drink,  such  as  your  good  physician  here  recom- 
mends to  his  patients.  I  wish  you  success  in 
your  business  venture,  and  I  intend  to  succeed 
in  mine.  Good-morning." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TIM    DURRELL. 

"  GOOD  for  you,  Thad,"  exclaimed  Tim  Dur- 
rell.  "You  told  Stafford  the  truth,  and  he 
knows  it.  He  is  after  the  money.  That  is  all 
he  cares  for,  and  it's  no  use  pretending  anything 
else.  As  for  old  Dr.  Lash,  he'll  swear  to  any- 
thing when  he's  well  primed  with  brandy  and 
opium  ;  especially  if  there's  a  good  fee  in  pros- 
pect. Say,  Thad,  don't  the  brewers  make  the 
biggest  kind  of  profits  ? " 

"  They  do,  and  of  course  the  more  beer  they 
can  sell  the  more  money  they  can  make.  There 
isn't  a  better  paying  business  in  the  country, 
and  that  is  what  makes  the  brewers  so  deter- 
mined to  keep  it  up." 

"  Well,  you  see  I  never  thought  much  about 
it.  Stafford  has  a  smooth  tongue,  and  he  talked 
so  well  he  made  a  good  many  believe  that  his 
starting  a  brewery  here  would  be  a  benefit  to 
the  town.  But  yesterday  most  every  voter  had 
a  pamphlet  come  through  the  post-office,  telling 
all  about  beer  and  what  the  brewers  are  trying 
to  do.  Have  you  seen  one  of  them  ? " 

(117) 


1 1 8         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"No;  this  is  the  first  I  have  heard  of  them." 

"  Then  you  didn't  send  them.  I  thought  per- 
haps you  did.  But  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  it 
opened  my  eyes  pretty  wide ;  and  if  half  I  read 
is  true,  making  beer  is  awful  mean  business; 
and  drinking  it  is  just  poisoning  your  blood 
and  bringing  all  manner  of  diseases  with  it. 
Dick  and  Luf  had  a  pamphlet,  but  they  wouldn't 
read  theirs." 

"I  wasn't  going  to  waste  my  time  over  any 
such  nonsense,"  said  Dick.  "I  had  something 
better  to  do." 

"  So  had  I,"  chimed  in  Luf.  "  1  took  mine  to 
light  my  pipe." 

"  I  read  every  word  of  mine,  twice  through, 
and  then  I  dreamed  about  it.  I  only  wish  I 
had  known,  six  months  ago,  what  I  do  now.  I 
wish  I  knew  who  sent  the  pamphlets." 

"  I  wish  I  could  see  one,"  said  Thad  Byam. 

"  Here  is  mine,"  responded  Tim  Durrell.  "  I 
put  mine  in  my  pocket  when  I  had  done  with 
it  last  night." 

Thad  Byam  took  the  paper  extended  to  him, 
and  seating  himself  upon  a  pile  of  lumber,  read 
every  word  of  it  from  beginning  to  end,  return- 
ing it  to  the  owner  with  the  comment,  "That 
is  a  hard  story,  Tim." 

"  Is  it  harder  than  the  truth  ? " 

"No." 


Tim  Durrell.  119 

"Then  you  believe  it?" 

"  I  believe  that,  and  more  too." 

"Then "  Here  the  speaker  paused,  and 

coming  nearer  to  his  old  friend,  said  half  under 
his  breath,  "I  wish  I  had  signed  the  pledge 
when  you  did.  I  couldn't  be  as  smart  as  you 
are,  but  I  should  be  different  from  what  I  am 
now.  I  was  mad  when  I  knew  how  much  bet- 
ter off  you  are  than  the  rest  of  us,  but  you  de- 
serve it.  You  started  right  and  we  started 
wrong." 

"  We  started  pretty  near  together,  Tim." 

"  You  switched  off  before  we  got  under  much 
headway,  and  since  then  you've  been  going  right 
away  from  us.  I  don't  suppose  anybody  thinks 
I  ever  feel  bad,  but  I  tell  you,  Thad,  I  haven't 
forgot  Lizzie.  She  wanted  me  to  be  good." 

"  It  isn't  too  late  now.  Sign  my  pledge  and 
go  with  me.  I  will  help  you  and  promise  you 
the  good  luck  you  talk  so  much  about." 

"I  wish  I  could.  I'm  sorry  about  Haver. 
We  only  meant  to  have  some  fun  with  the  old 
fellow." 

"  He  is  not  very  old,  Tim,  and  you  wouldn't 
have  thought  there  was  much  fun  if  you  had 
seen  him  and  bis  children,  as  I  did." 

"  Don't  say  any  more  about  it,  Thad,  but  let 
me  come  and  see  you  this  evening,  will  you  ? " 

"Let   you  come?     I   shall  be  glad  to  have 


I2O         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

you.  Come  over  this  afternoon,  so  we  can  have 
plenty  of  time  for  a  long  talk.  Do  you  think 
Dick  and  Luf  would  like  to  come  ? " 

"I  don't  know.  I  want  to  see  you  alone. 
They  don't  feel  about  some  things  as  I  do. 
They  didn't  read  their  pamphlets." 

"  All  right.     Come  by  yourself." 

"  I  will.     I  must  go  to  work  now." 

"  And  I  must  go  home.  I  have  a  little  job  I 
want  to  do  before  you  come." 

So  saying,  Thad  Byam  went  his  way ;  having 
seen  and  heard  enough  to  convince  him  that  no 
means  would  be  left  untried  to  bring  customers 
to  the  new  saloon.  Whether  Stafford  was 
pecuniarily  interested  in  this  saloon  he  did  not 
know ;  yet  it  was  certain  that  the  saloon-keeper 
and  the  brewer  would  make  common  cause 
against  every  influence  tending  to  restrict  the 
liquor  traffic. 

Home  through  the  lindens,  where  bees  were 
still  gathering  stores  of  sweets;  resting  for  a 
little  on  the  bench  which  now  stood  steady  and 
strong,  supported  by  substantial  props.  Then 
hurrying  on,  Thad  Byam  informed  his  grand- 
mother that  a  guest  might  be  expected. 

"I  have  hope  of  Tim,  and  I  want  to  give  him 
a  first-rate  supper,"  said  the  young  man.  "  Sup- 
pose we  have  some  fried  trout  for  supper.  I 
can  catch  some,  and  you  can  cook  them  better 


Tim  DurrelL  121 

than  anybody  else.  Tim  used  to  think  there 
was  nothing  quite  so  good,  and  I  don't  believe 
he  gets  many  dainties  at  home." 

"  There  is  no  chance  for  dainties  there.  Every- 
thing is  dreadfully  shiftless.  His  stepmother 
is  a  poor  housekeeper,  and  she  always  speaks  of 
Tim  as  being  a  terrible  trial.  I  don't  so  much 
wonder  that  he  stays  away  from  home  as  he 
does.  Everybody  says  he  is  a  good  fellow  to 
work  if  he  would  only  let  liquor  alone." 

"  I  know  he  is,  grandmother,  and  I  am  going 
to  see  what  I  can  do  for  him.  He  is  worth 
saving." 

Could  Tim  Durrell  have  listened  to  the  kind 
words  then  said  of  him,  and  realized  how  truly 
his  presence  was  desired  in  the  little  cottage,  he 
would  have  looked  forward  to  the  proposed 
visit  with  more  of  pleasure.  He  had  made  an 
effort  to  appear  at  his  best,  and  yet  he  so  felt 
his  un  worthiness  he  was  tempted  to  turn  back 
and  go  on  in  his  reckless  career. 

On  his  way  he  stopped  more  than  once  to 
think  it  all  over ;  deciding  finally  to  redeem  his 
promise  at  any  cost.  When  he  reached  his 
destination  he  received  so  cordial  a  welcome 
that  he  soon  forgot  his  misgivings,  and  felt  him- 
self quite  at  home  with  Mrs.  Byam,  who  talked 
to  him.  of  the  mother  and  sister  he  had  loved 
and  lost. 


122          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

He  was  ready  to  sign  the  pledge  presented 
for  his  signature,  and  asked  for  the  prayers  of 
his  friends,  that  he  might  have  strength  to  keep 
it. 

"  I  must  keep  it,"  he  said.  "  It  is  my  only 
hope.  I  feel  as  though  I  had  come  to  where 
two  roads  meet  and  I  must  make  a  choice  for 
life  between  the  two.  There  were  two  roads 
when  Thad  took  one  and  I  took  the  other ;  but 
he  thinks  there's  another  chance  for  me,  and  I'm 
going  to  try  it.  It  will  be  a  hard  case  for  me, 
but  I  must  try." 

"  You  can  do  it,  Tim,  if  it  is  hard,  and  you'll 
have  reason  to  be  thankful  for  it  every  hour  of 
your  life.  I  only  wish  we  could  save  all  the 
boys  and  young  men  in  town." 

"  So  do  I,  Thad,  but  it  won't  do  for  me  to  say 
anything  about  that  till  I've  done  something 
toward  saving  myself." 

"  You  must  depend  on  the  Lord  to  save  you," 
said  Mrs.  Byam. 

"  Yes,  ma'am ;  I  know  that,"  was  replied.  "  I 
will  try  not  to  forget  it,  but  I  must  do  my  part." 

"  Certainly  you  must,  and  you  must  help 
others  too.  Now  the  enemy  is  coming  in  upon 
us  like  a  flood,  we  have  need  to  be  up  and 
doing." 

"It  is  strange  that  I  didn't  realize  what  a 
curse  a  brewery  would  be  to  the  town.  I  heard 


Tim  DurrelL  123 

a  good  deal  of  talk  about  it,  but  it  didn't  seem 
to  take  hold  of  me.  There's  nothing  like  money 
and  liquor  for  keeping  folks  from  good,  hard, 
honest  thinking ;  and  they  were  both  distributed 
'round  pretty  free  at  town-meeting  time. 

"Stafford  talks  about  wanting  to  help  the 
town.  All  he  cares  for  is  to  make  money,  and 
that  he  is  bound  to  do  at  any  cost  to  others." 

"  We  shouldn't  have  had  that  saloon  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  him." 

"  You  are  right  there,  Mrs.  Byam,  and  it's  a 
bad  place.  A  good  many  boys  and  young  men 
have  drank  their  first  glass  of  liquor  there.  I 
don't  care  what  they  pretend ;  there  don't  many 
go  in  there  without  taking  something  to  drink. 
Other  customers  ain't  wanted.  I  know,  for  I've 
been  inside  the  ring ;  and  {hat's  going  to  make 
it  hard  for  me.  I  sha'n't  say  any  more  about  it 
than  I'm  obliged  to,  but  I  shall  have  to  fight  my 
way.  I've  had  a  glimpse  of  what  I  might  be  if 
I'd  let  liquor  and  tobacco  alone,  and  God  help- 
ing me,  I'll  do  the  best  I  can." 

He  made  an  effort  to  tell  Mrs.  Byam  what 
this  visit  had  been  to  him,  but  only  succeeded 
in  thanking  her  for  her  kindness.  It  had  been 
many  a  day  since  he  had  eaten  such  a  supper  or 
shared  in  so  genial  a  conversation.  Before  leav- 
ing these  friends  his  plans  were  well  matured. 
He  was  to  return  to  the  city  with  Thad  Byam, 


1 24         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

but  until  then  he  must  work  in  order  to  pay 
some  debts  foolishly  incurred. 

Tim  Durrell's  "conversion"  could  not  long 
remain  a  secret.  The  change  in  his  habits  was 
soon  the  subject  of  general  comment.  Some 
who  had  watched  him  from  his  boyhood  con- 
gratulated and  encouraged  him.  Thad  Byam 
was  his  constant  counsellor  and  support ;  man- 
aging to  see  him  every  day,  and  always  giving 
him  some  word  of  cheer  which  helped  him  to 
bear  the  sneers  and  taunts  of  those  who  would 
have  dragged  him  back  to  the  depths  from 
which  he  was  struggling  to  rise. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

WHO    SENT   THE   TRACTS? 

To  say  that  Clyde  Stafford  was  indignant 
would  give  but  a  faint  conception  of  his  feel- 
ings, wh'en  for  the  second  time  there  was  a  dis- 
tribution of  temperance  literature  from  the 
post-office. 

"Incendiary  documents"  he  called  them, 
when  in  fact  they  were  only  two-page  tracts, 
containing  quotations  from  internal  revenue  re- 
ports, medical  reviews,  and  scientific  papers; 
with  an  estimate  of  the  amount  paid  for  liquor 
by  a  moderate  drinker.  This  estimate  had 
especial  reference  to  the  consumption  of  beer, 
and  was  therefore  especially  obnoxious  to  the 
young  man  who  claimed  for  himself  such  gener- 
ous motives  in  the  establishment  of  a  brewery. 

"  It  is  a  clear  case  of  persecution,"  he  said  to 
one  who  professed  to  be  in  sympathy  with  him. 
"  If  I  knew  who  sent  the  falsehoods  here  I  would 
bring  a  suit  against  him  or  her,  whichever  the 
sender  may  be." 

"  Could  you  prove  that  the  statements  made 
are  falsehoods  ? "  was  asked  in  reply  to  this  out- 
burst. 

(125) 


126         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  Of  course  they  are  false.  Any  unprejudiced 
person  would  see  that  at  once.  Do  you  sup- 
pose a  business  would  be  tolerated  which  wasted 
the  resources  of  the  country  and  rained  the 
health  of  the  people  in  the  manner  described  in 
these  last  tracts  or  leaflets?  The  idea  is  ab- 
surd. It  carries  a  lie  upon  the  very  face  of  it. 
I  am  wondering  what  the  fanatics  will  do  next. 
I  hope  you  don't  believe  the  stuff." 

"  I  know  the  arithmetic  part  is  all  right.  It 
is  just  a  plain  sum  in  multiplication,  that  any- 
body who  knows  anything  about  figures  can 
prove  in  ten  minutes;  and  there's  no  mistake 
but  what  a  regular  beer-drinker  spends  a  good 
deal  of  money  for  his  drink." 

"  What  of  it  ?  It  costs  something  for  what  a 
man  eats ;  but  I  never  heard  of  anybody  living 
a  great  while  without  eating." 

"That  is  the  very  point,  Stafford.  That  is 
what  I  thought  most  about  when  I  calculated 
that  sum.  I  said  to  myself:  A.  man  can  live 
without  beer  or  tobacco,  but  he  can't  live  with- 
out bread.  Now  if  a  man  has  a  family  and 
earns  only  a  certain  amount  every  day,  he  needs 
to  spend  his  wages  to  the  very  best  advantage; 
so  they  will  bring  him  and  his  family  the  great- 
est amount  of  comfort.  You  won't  deny  that." 

"  I  won't  deny  anything.  You  have  learned 
your  lesson  well.  The  fanatics  have  said  the 


Who  sent  the  Tractsf  127 

same  thing  hundreds  of  times,  and  I  admit  that 
it  sounds  plausible.  But  I  claim  that  every  man 
has  a  right  to  decide  for  himself  how  he  shall 
spend  his  money." 

"His  family  must  be  considered.  A  man 
must  put  his  family  first.  I'm  not  going  back 
on  you,  Stafford;  but  I  tell  you  what,  my  tract 
set  me  to  thinking.  Did  you  have  one  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  did  you  read  it  ? " 

"  Of  course  I  did.  I  heard  that  all  which 
came  through  the  office  were  alike,  and  I  wanted 
to  see  for  myself  what  the  stuff  was.  All  I  have 
to  say  about  it  now  is,  that  I  consider  it  a  cow- 
ardly way  of  fighting.  It  is  like  striking  a  man 
in  the  dark,  when  he  can't  defend  himself,  be- 
cause he  can't  see  his  assailant." 

It  was  evidently  the  intention  that  every 
family  in  town  should  receive  a  copy  of  the 
leaflet,  as  well  as  every  workman  without 
family  ties ;  and  the  fact  that  the  distribution 
was  so  general  excited  curiosity  which  would 
be  satisfied  only  with  a  careful  perusal.  Staf- 
ford's annoyance,  also,  increased  the  interest,  so 
that  the  subject  was  universally  discussed. 

"  If  I  had  known  all  this  six  months  ago,  I 
should  have  voted  differently,"  said  more  than 
one  who  read  and  re-read  the  statistics  until 
they  could  be  repeated  word  for  word. 


128         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

People  began  to  talk  about  the  saloon.  Many 
who  had  been  indifferent  in  regard  to  it  found 
themselves  compelled  to  consider  its  influence. 
Thad  Byam  denounced  it  in  season  and  out  of 
season ;  warning  parents  who  had  years  before 
warned  him. 

"  We  shall  be  rid  of  one  meddler  when  that 
Byam  is  gone,"  remarked  the  saloon-keeper  to 
one  of  his  best  customers.  "  He  has  told  Haver's 
story  so  often  he  has  really  made  himself  be- 
lieve it." 

"  He  has  made  others  believe  it  too.  We  all 
know  it  is  true,  and  more's  the  shame.  In  his 
worst  days  Thad  Byam  never  was  known  to  tell 
a  lie,  and  he  certainly  wouldn't  do  it  now  when 
he  has  so  much  to  lose.  You  don't  know  him 
as  well  as  the  people  do  who  have  always  lived 
here. 

"All  he  says  about  Haver  is  true,  and  you 
won't  gain  anything  by  denying  it.  I  want  a 
dram  when  I  want  it,  and  I  don't  count  it  any- 
body's business;  but  I  wouldn't  be  guilty  of 
selling  liquor  to  such  a  man  as  Haver.  I'm 
alone  in  the  world,  so  it  doesn't  make  much  dif- 
ference what  becomes  of  me,  but  Haver  has  two 
children.  It's  a  hard  fight  for  a  man  like  him, 
who  has  been  used  to  taking  his  drams,  to  give 
them  up ;  and  now  he  has  started  over  again,  I 
hope  whoever  puts  a  glass  to  his  lips  will  be 


Who  sent  the   Tracts  f  129 

punished  for  it.  You'll  kill  your  saloon  if  you 
allow  such  work.  Richard  Anslow  has  under- 
taken to  help  Haver  up,  and  he  is  going  to  do 
it." 

"  Who  is  Richard  Anslow  ?  " 

"  A  man  who  knows  a  good  deal  more  about 
his  own  business  than  his  neighbors  do." 

"  What  is  Haver  to  him  ? " 

"  You  must  ask  him  if  you  want  to  know." 

"  Is  he  the  man  who  owns  Cold  Spring  ?  " 

"  He  and  his  sister  own  it." 

"  Then  I  know  all  about  him  I  want  to.  I  am 
thankful  he  don't  live  in  this  town." 

"  It  might  be  better  for  the  town  if  he  did. 
There  can't  anybody  say  anything  against  him 
or  his  sister  without  saying  what  isn't  true. 
They  are  good  people." 

"  Would  they  be  likely  to  send  these  tracts 
everybody  is  talking  about  ? " 

"  I  don't  know."  . 

"  Who  could  have  sent  them  ? " 

This  question  was  often  asked.  Some  accused 
Thad  Byam  of  sending  them ;  but  upon  his  de- 
nial, the  charge  was  withdrawn.  As  there  was 
no  postmark  upon  the  envelopes,  no  clue  could 
be  obtained  which  might  betray  the  sender; 
but  that  the  work  so  well  begun  was  likely  to 
be  continued  was  proven  by  the  third  appeal, 
which  commanded  even  more  attention  than 


130         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

either  of  the  preceding.  This  was  brought  by 
mail  from  a  different  direction  than  the  others, 
thus  making  the  mystery  still  more  complete. 

Meanwhile  there  had  been  an  influx  of  sum- 
mer visitors.  Every  room  in  the  new  hotel  was 
occupied.  Farm-houses  were  open  to  guests 
who  were  willing  to  pay  liberally  for  large, 
airy  chambers  and  appetizing  food.  Berries, 
both  wild  and  cultivated,  with  cream  and  but- 
ter of  the  richest  and  sweetest,  were  served  in 
old-fashioned  dining-rooms  on  old-fashioned 
tables.  It  was  a  paradise  to  city  people,  who 
did  not  fail  in  appreciation  of  the  generous  pro- 
vision made  for  them. 

But  there  was  "  that  saloon ";  a  blot  upon 
the  otherwise  fair  landscape,  and  a  source  of 
constant  anxiety  to  many  a  tired  mother  longing 
for  rest. 

"  Can  it  not  be  closed  ?  "  was  asked ;  and  the 
question  was  answered  in  a  tone  of  such  utter 
indifference  as  might  challenge  an  apology  for 
its  utterance. 

"Public  opinion  tolerates  it,  and  you  know 
it  is  impossible  to  go  against  public  opinion. 
If  all  felt  as  I  do  the  saloon  would  be  closed, 
but  I  am  only  one." 

This  was  said  by  a  man  professing  to  be  in 
favor  of  temperance.  He  wished  this  to  be  dis- 
tinctly understood,  although  he  was  careful  not 


Who  sent  the    Tracts  f  131 

to  incur  the  displeasure  of  those  who  differed 
from  him.  He  could  not  see  the  wisdom  of 
extreme  measures  so  long  as  there  was  such  a 
variety  of  opinions  in  regard  to  the  best  manner 
of  combating  the  evil  of  intemperance.  He  was 
waiting  for  the  right  opportunity,  when  some 
effort  could  be  made  which  promised  success. 

"  It  is  not  possible  that  you  are  the  only  per- 
son in  town  opposed  to  that  saloon,"  was  the 
response  to  his  somewhat  elaborate  expression 
of  his  opinions. 

"  Certainly  not ;  but  the  majority  of  the 
towns-people  think  best  not  to  interfere,  and  so 
I  suppose  we  must  be  satisfied  with  doing  what 
we  can  to  counteract  its  influence." 

"That  is  the  kind  of  talk  that  keeps  the 
saloon  running,"  exclaimed  Jacob  Hill,  when 
this  was  repeated  to  him.  "  Our  village  used 
to  be  a  quiet,  orderly  place,  but  since  Stafford 
got  a  foothold  here  everything  has  changed. 
The  boarding-house  he  is  building  for  his  work- 
men won't  make  things  any  better.  Then  there 
is  the  new  grocery-store  his  constituency  is  ex- 
pected to  patronize.  It  will  be  pretty  much  all 
of  a  piece,  and  beer  is  to  rule." 

"  No  doubt  of  that,"  was  replied.  "  Now  his 
father  is  at  the  new  hotel,  we  may  expect  to  see 
things  pushed  to  the  last  degree.  I  have  heard 
that  the  old  man  will  try  again  to  buy  Cold 


132         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

Spring  with  ten  acres  of  land  adjoining.  If  he 
can  do  that,  he  will  build  the  largest  hotel  in 
this  part  of  the  State,  and  the  town  authorities 
will  be  obliged  to  lay  out  a  road  for  him." 

"There  is  no  chance  for  him  to  buy  Cold 
Spring,  and  there  are  not  many  property -holders 
in  town  who  would  sell  him  or  his  son  a  square 
foot  of  land.  They  will  never  own  the  Brenner 
estate,  either.  Clyde  Stafford  will  find  that 
plan  will  miscarry." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

STAFFOED,    SENIOR. 

"  HAVE  you  heard  of  Stafford's  last  move  ? " 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  I  have,"  was  replied  to 
the  above  question.  "  His  moves  are  so  many 
and  so  frequent,  it  is  not  easy  to  keep  track  of 
them." 

"  It  is  not  necessary  either,  but  as  the  last  of 
which  I  have  heard  promises  important  results, 
I  am  interested ;  and  the  more  so,  since  in  a  cer- 
tain way  it  threatens  injury  to  a  man  for  whom 
I  have  a  profound  respect.  It  is  a  business  ven- 
ture in  his  son's  name  and  I  presume  he  con- 
siders it  the  shrewdest  he  has  yet  made. 

"  He  and  his  family  spent  last  summer  in  the 
town  where  Luke  Brenner's  old  homestead  is 
situated,  and  the  upshot  of  the  matter  is  that 
he  has  bought  land  there  on  which  to  build  a 
brewery.  It  is  all  in  Clyde's  name,  but  every- 
body knows  that  the  old  man  must  furnish  the 
money." 

"And  you  say  a  brewery  is  to  be  built  in 
Brenner's  native  town !  I  wonder  at  that. 
Brenner  was  one  of  our  ultra  temperance  men, 

(133) 


134         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

and  particularly  severe  on  beer-drinking.  I 
should  suppose  he  would  fight  a  brewery  for  all 
he  is  worth." 

"  Once  he  would,  and  have  carried  his  point ; 
but  I  have  been  told  that  since  his  failure  he 
has  withdrawn  almost  entirely  from  active  life. 
His  failure  completely  crushed  him,  although 
within  a  few  months  he  has  rallied  somewhat, 
and  if  it  was  not  for  a  mortgage  on  his  place  he 
might  possibly  redeem  himself  in  time." 

"  I  heard  he  mortgaged  his  country  seat  to 
pay  his  last  debt." 

"  He  did ;  and  the  worst  of  it  now  is,  that 
Clyde  Stafford  holds  the  mortgage  and  has  fore- 
closed on  it.  It  seems  from  what  I  have  heard 
that  Brenner  was  so  discouraged  he  was  ready 
to  give  up  everything  without  making  any  fight 
at  all,  and  Stafford  is  determined  to  push  mat- 
ters to  the  last  extremity.  You  remember  Bren- 
ner had  a  daughter." 

"  Yes  ;  and  a  bright,  handsome  girl  she  was. 
It  must  be  two  years  since  I  have  seen  her,  but 
she  struck  me  then  as  one  sure  to  make  a  beauty 
and  a  belle.  She  must  be  a  very  attractive 
young  lady." 

"  Clyde  Stafford  evidently  thought  so.  It  is 
understood  that  he  offered  himself  to  her  and 
was  rejected ;  and  then  bought  up  the  Brenner 
mortgage  in  order  to  be  revenged.  The  death 


Stafford,  Senior.  135 

of  the  original  mortgagee  gave  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  do  this ;  as  the  heirs  wanted  the  money 
and  he  was  ready  to  advance  it." 

"  I  should  suppose  Brenner  might  have  made 
some  arrangement  to  prevent  that." 

"As  near  as  I  can  learn,  he  made  no  effort  to 
do  so.  Young  By  am  told  me  about  it,  and  he 
says  the  Brenner  place  is  worth  twice  the 
amount  of  the  mortgage." 

"  You  mean  Byam,  the  inventor,  that  every- 
body is  talking  about  ? " 

uYes;  his  home  is  in  the  same  town  as  Luke 
Brenner's  place,  and  he  is  determined  in  some 
way  to  help  the  old  man.  He  says  he  will  put 
another  mortgage  on  his  invention,  but  what 
he  will  take  the  mortgage  out  of  Stafford's 
clutches." 

"  He  can  raise  money  on  that,  but  they  say  he 
won't  sell  any  part  of  it." 

"  No ;  he  calculates  to  have  the  full  benefit  of 
it  himself.  He  has  worked  hard  enough  for  it, 
and  he  is  too  sharp  a  business  man  to  miss  his 
chances  now." 

"Hilliard  is  responsible  for  Brenner's  failure. 
He  was  owing  Brenner  sixty  thousand  dollars, 
and  besides  that  Brenner's  name  was  on  his 
paper,  some  say,  for  as  much  more.  All  that 
was  a  dead  loss.  Hilliard  beggared  himself  to 
save  his  son,  and  left  Brenner  in  the  lurch." 


136        Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  Did  you  ever  know  how  much  it  cost  Hilli- 
ard  to  settle  up  for  George  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  exactly,  but  a  good  deal  over 
a  hundred  thousand,  and  it  wouldn't  be  strange 

'  O 

if  it  cost  him  twice  that.  Their  George  ha^ 
been  drawing  on  his  father  for  years ;  so  that 
really  the  old  man  had  been  growing  poorer 
long  before  the  crash  came. 

"  At  one  time  he  and  Clyde  Stafford  were 
great  friends,  but  they  were  differently  made 
up.  Stafford  would  drink  moderately  and  keep 
his  expenses  within  reasonable  limits,  while 
Hilliard  would  indulge  himself  without  stint, 
and  plunge  headlong  into  the  worst  excesses. 
When  he  was  under  the  influence  of  liquor  he 
was  perfectly  reckless.  He  was  the  fastest  man 
of  a  fast  set,  and  such  a  life  as  he  lived  costs 
money.  His  father  hushed  up  a  good  many 
scandals  that  would  have  put  him  in  a  worse 
position  before  the  public  than  he  is  now. 

"  It  was  virtually  Brenner's  money  that  saved 
him  from  the  State  prison." 

"  Exactly,  and  Hilliard  had  no  right  to  spend 
money  in  that  way  when  it  justly  belonged  to 
another.  I  told  Byam  all  about  it,  so  that  he 
understands  the  whole  matter." 

u  Do  you  know  the  whereabouts  of  George 
Hilliard?" 

"  No,   I  do   not.      It  is  said  that  even  his 


Stafford,  Senior.  137 

family  have  known  nothing  of  him  since  the 
night  he  was  released  from  custody.  He  was 
at  home  about  an  hour,  and  then  left  the  house 
dressed  in  his  plainest  suit." 

"  The  family  seem  to  have  dropped  out  of 
sight  too." 

"  I  presume  they  have  no  wish  to  be  seen  by 
their  old  friends.  They  must  be  very  poor. 
Hilliard  is  a  broken-down  old  man.  His  son's 
conduct  must  have  been  a  terrible  trial,  and  I 
think,  too,  that  he  must  be  troubled  about 
Brenner." 

"  He  ought  to  be  troubled  about  Brenner. 
It  was  a  clear  case  of  dishonesty  on  his  part. 
And  liquor  was  at  the  bottom  of  it  all.  Hil- 
liard always  had  wine  on  his  sideboard,  and 
George  learned  to  drink  it  at  home.  I  suppose 
he  can  drink  moderately  all  his  life,  but  George 
could  not." 

"  I  am  not  sure  that  he  can.  I  have  heard 
it  whispered  that  since  his  failure  he  is  drink- 
ing heavily ;  and  as  he  cannot  afford  wine,  he 
takes  cheaper  drinks.  I  am  afraid  he  is  going 
down  pretty  fast. 

"  When  you  come  to  think  it  all  over,  it  is 
strange  how  much  of  the  trouble  and  poverty 
in  this  world  is  caused  by  alcoholic  liquors.  I 
used  to  talk  for  liberty  and  moderation,  but  I 
have  changed  my  opinions  on  the  temperance 


138         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

question.  There  is  one  safe  course  for  every- 
body, and  that  is  to  abstain  entirely  from  the 
use  of  all  intoxicating  drinks." 

"  Do  you  class  beer  among  such  drinks  ?  " 

"  I  do,  and  to  my  mind  it  is  one  of  the  worst. 
I  know  a  man  may  drink  a  great  deal  of  beer 
without  being  drunk ;  but  when  he  is  drunk 
on  beer  he  is  terribly  drunk.  You  see  I  don't 
choose  to  use  smooth  words  to  describe  a  man's 
condition  when  he  is  under  the  influence  of  in- 
toxicants. 

"  My  attention  was  called  to  the  effects  of 
beer  by  an  article  in  The  Scientific  Monthly, 
and  in  that  article  the  statement  is  made  that 
'  beer-drinking  produces  the  very  lowest  type 
of  inebriety,'  and  also  that  '  the  most  dangerous 
class  of  ruffians  in  our  large  cities  are  beer- 
drinkers.'  ' 

"  If  that  is  true,  we  have  as  much  to  fear 
from  breweries  as  distilleries." 

"  I  think  we  have  more.  I  have  been  looking 
around  since  I  read  that,  and  I  believe  it  is 
true." 

"  Stafford,  senior,  has  made  his  money  in 
beer." 

"  I  suppose  there  is  no  doubt  of  that.  He 
has  an  interest  in  several  breweries  in  the  West- 
ern and  Middle  States,  and  now  he  is  making  a 
push  for  New  England." 


Stafford,  Senior,  139 

"  Why  should  he  wish  to  do  that  ?  There  is 
great  opposition  to  the  business." 

"  Yes  ;  but  it  is  something  gained  politically 
for  the  rum  power  to  be  able  to  establish  a 
brewery  in  the  face  of  this  opposition.  It  will 
have  an  influence,  and  may  sometime  control  a 
local  election.  All  this  counts ;  and  they  who 
are  working  for  the  liquor  interest  are  not 
above  counting  the  smallest  gains." 

"  You  say  Clyde  Stafford  is  to  manage  the 
new  brewery  ? " 

"  He  has  a  deed  of  the  land  on  which  it  is  to 
be  built,  and  everything  connected  with  it  will 
be  in  his  name." 

"  Will  he  keep  as  cool  a  head  as  his  father  ? " 

"  That  remains  to  be  seen.  He  is  much  more 
of  a  gentleman  than  his  father.  He  has  agree- 
able manners  when  he  wishes  to  produce  a  good 
impression.  I  suppose,  too,  he  would  be  called 
handsome,  if  the  expression  of  his  face  was  not 
taken  into  account." 

"  I  hope  he  won't  get  the  Brenner  place." 

"  I  don't  believe  he  will.  There  will  be  some 
way  of  saving  it.  There  are  some  things  even 
brewers  will  not  be  allowed  to  do,  although  we 
sometimes  seem  to  be  at  the  mercy  of  the  liquor 
interest.  We  hardly  know  the  power  this  in- 
terest exercises ;  and  it  is  solely  to  put  money 
in  the  pockets  of  comparatively  few  men.  It 


140         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

has  no  regard  whatever  to  the  general  prosper- 
ity of  the  country,  or  even  of  any  given  com- 
munity." 

"  Is  any  one  really  benefited  by  the  manufac- 
ture and  sale  of  alcoholic  liquor  ? " 

"  Money  is  made  by  it,  and  the  Government 
gains  a  revenue  from  it." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  if  money  is  made  by  the 
manufacturers  and  sellers  it  is  lost  by  the  con- 
sumers ;  and  what  the  Government  gains  in 
revenue  is  small  compensation  for  the  crime 
and  poverty  entailed  upon  the  nation  by  the 
drinking  habits  of  the  people. 

"Alcoholic  drinks  are  not  by  any  means 
among  the  necessaries  of  life,  and  there  are  mill- 
ions of  men  in  our  country  who  cannot  afford  to 
spend  a  single  dollar  for  what  is  not  absolutely 
necessary  to  the  well-being  of  themselves  or  their 
families.  Their  income,  economically  spent,  will 
barely  suffice  to  meet  the  just  demands  upon 
it.  An  expenditure  of  even  so  little  as  ten  or 
fifteen  cents  a  day  outside  of  these  demands, 
involves  positive  suffering  on  the  part  of  the 
family ;  and  T  judge  that  few  beer-drinkers  drink 
less  than  two  or  three  glasses  a  day." 

"  Most  would  exceed  that ;  many  double  it, 
and  not  a  few  drink  an  even  dozen.  Consider- 
ing its  importance,  the  economic  side  of  this 
great  question  has  received  little  attention.  A 


Stafford,   Senior.  141 

man  who  says  he  is  too  poor  to  educate  his 
children,  and  at  the  same  time  uses  either  liq- 
uor or  tobacco,  is  guilty  of  telling  an  absolute 
falsehood.  Thousands  of  men  are  dooming 
their  children  to  ignorance,  that  they  may 
gratify  a  besotted  taste  and  indulge  in  low 
revels ;  and  it  is  time  that  this  fact  was  un- 
derstood and  appreciated." 

"  It  is  more  than  time.  Young  Byam  has 
shown  us  what  a  man  can  do  with  two  hands, 
pluck,  energy,  and  perseverance ;  but  who  be- 
lieves he  could  have  done  what  he  has  if  he 
had  not  been  a  teetotaler  ?  Not  every  tee- 
totaler could  do  as  much,  because,  as  people 
say,  they  are  not  made  for  it ;  but  every  man 
with  average  health  can  earn  a  comfortable 
support  for  a  family,  if  what  he  earns  is  judi- 
ciously spent." 

"  I  hope  that  is  true  ;  for  how  families  are  to 
be  supported  and  educated  on  small  means  is 
one  of  the  problems  of  the  age." 

"  A  problem  which  would  be  quickly  solved, 
if  money  was  only  spent  for  what  gives  a  fair 
equivalent." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A     STRANGE     MEETING. 

THE  clocks  were  striking  ten  as  Thaddeus 
Byam  was  returning  home  from  an  evening 
spent  with  some  gentlemen  interested  in  his 
invention. 

The  night  was  dark ;  a  heavy  mist  settling 
down  upon  the  city,  rendering  everything  damp 
and  disagreeable.  The  street-lamps  burned 
dimly,  but  he  did  not  heed  the  gloom,  so  ab- 
sorbed was  he  in  his  own  thoughts.  Presently, 
however,  his  attention  was  arrested  by  the  words 
spoken  not  far  away  : 

"  Oh,  father,  do  try  and  get  up  !  What  can 
we  do  ? "  and  then  there  was  a  low,  despairing 
cry,  as  if  words  had  utterly  failed. 

As  he  sprang  forward  to  offer  assistance,  he 
saw  a  man,  who  had  evidently  fallen  upon  the 
sidewalk,  with  two  young  girls  standing  beside 
him,  vainly  endeavoring  to  raise  him  to  his  feet. 

"  Allow  me  to  help  you,"  he  said  cordially. 

"  If  you  only  will,  we  shall  be  so  thankful," 
was  replied.     "  We  must  get  father  home  be- 
fore a  policeman  sees  him." 
(142) 


A   Strange  Meeting.  143 

Thaddeus  By  am  did  not  need  to  ask  if  the 
father  had  been  taken  suddenly  ill.  He  com- 
prehended the  situation  at  once,  and  with  some 
words  of  encouragement  assisted  the  man  to  his 
feet. 

"  Thank  you  a  thousand  times.  I  think  we 
can  manage  now,"  said  one  of  the  young  ladies. 

"  It  will  be  better  that  I  should  go  with  you," 
was  responded  quietly.  "  If  you  will  lead  the 
way,  I  think  I  can  answer  for  the  rest.  Another 
fall  might  injure  your  father  seriously." 

It  was  evident  that  the  daughters  wished 
to  avoid  further  notice,  yet  circumstances  com- 
pelled them  to  accept  the  assistance  so  kindly 
offered.  They  had  gone  but  a  few  squares, 
when  they  stopped  before  a  small  cottage  stand- 
ing a  little  back  from  the  street,  and  again 
wished  to  dismiss  their  newly-found  friend. 

"  We  thank  you  for  your  kindness,  and  we 
will  not  trouble  you  further." 

Yet  even  as  this  was  said,  the  father  would 
have  fallen  had  not  a  strong  arm  sustained  him. 

"  I  cannot  leave  you  until  I  see  you  safely  in 
your  home.  I  am  quite  sure  I  am  needed,  and 
I  could  not  forgive  myself  for  leaving  you  here," 
replied  Thaddeus  Byam. 

"  What  will  mother  say  ? "  exclaimed  one. 
"We  cannot  manage  father  alone,  and  I  am 
afraid  it  will  kill  her  to  have  a  stranger  come 


144       Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

into  the  house  in  this  way.  But  father  is  grow- 
ing worse,  and " 

The  door  of  the  cottage  was  opened,  reveal- 
ing the  figure  of  a  woman. 

"  Poor  mother !  It  is  so  hard  for  her.  If  you 
have  a  mother,  don't  ever  do  anything  to  make 
her  unhappy,"  added  the  same  voice. 

"  I  have  neither  father  nor  mother,  but  I  have 
a  dear  old  grandmother,  who  has  done  every- 
thing for  me,  and  whom  I  hope  to  make  very 
happy  as  long  as  she  lives,"  was  replied. 

"  Oh  !  my  husband  ;  has  it  come  to  this  ? " 
cried  the  half-distracted  wife,  as  she  stood  aside 
to  make  room  for  him  to  be  taken  through  the 
narrow  hall  into  a  small  parlor.  "  My  cup  was 
full,  and  now  it  overflows.  The  worst  has  come 
to  me." 

"Mother,  this  gentleman  deserves  your 
thanks,"  said  one  of  the  daughters.  "  He  saw 
that  we  needed  help,  and  came  to  our  assist- 
ance. But  for  him  it  would  have  been  worse 
for  us  all." 

Help  was  still  needed.  Rousing  a  little  from 
his  stupor,  the  intoxicated  man  was  ready  to 
assail  whoever  and  whatever  came  in  his  way. 
He  asserted  his  independence  and  his  determi- 
nation to  do  as  he  pleased. 

"  My  name  is  Hilliard,  and  everybody  knows 
that  Hilliard  means  what  he  says,"  he  shouted 


A  Strange  Meeting.  145 

hoarsely.  "  What  are  you  staring  at  me  so  for  ? 
Get  out  of  my  way.  I  want  a  clear  track,  and 
I  am  going  to  have  it.  If  you  get  in  my  way  I 
shall  run  you  down." 

His  ravings  were  frightful.  His  wife  and 
daughters  clung  to  each  other  in  abject  terror. 

"  Mrs.  Hilliard,  I  think  I  can  quiet  your  hus- 
band, if  you  will  leave  him  alone  with  me," 
said  Thaddeus  Byam  ;  and  receiving  no  answer, 
he  asked :  "  Am  I  right  in  addressing  you  as 
Mrs.  Hilliard?" 

u  You  are  right.  I  am  Mrs.  Hilliard.  I  once 
was  proud  of  the  name,  but  it  has  been  dis- 
graced ;  terribly  disgraced  ;  forever  disgraced." 

"  You  have  a  right  to  know  my  name.  I  am 
Thaddeus  Byam." 

"Thaddeus  Byam,  the  inventor?" 

"  Yes,  madam." 

"  Then  I  know  we  can  trust  you.  We  are  out 
of  the  world,  but  we  have  heard  of  you.  I  am 
not  afraid  to  leave  my  husband  with  you,  but 
you  will  put  us  under  such  obligations,  that  we 
can  never  repay  you." 

"  I  am  glad  to  be  of  service  to  you,  Mrs. 
Hilliard.  A  cup  of  strong  coffee  might  benefit 
your  husband,  and  I  think  I  could  persuade 
him  to  drink  it." 

"  There  is  no  coffee  in  the  house ;  neither 
have  we  money  to  buy  any." 


146         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

This  was  said  by  tbe  younger  daughter, 
whose  frankness  was  proverbial,  and  who,  when 
reproved  for  her  plain  speaking,  insisted  that  it 
was  best  to  know  the  whole  truth,  in  order  to 
act  intelligently. 

Here  was  poverty,  and  this  was  the  man  so 
deeply  in  debt  to  Luke  Brenner,  and  who,  as 
his  companion  had  been  told,  most  deeply  re- 
gretted the  misfortunes  he  had  brought  upon 
his  friend.  Even  in  his  ravings  he  talked  of 
this ;  saying  over  and  over  again  : 

"Luke  Brenner  deserved  better  of  me." 

"Luke  Brenner  deserves  well  of  the  whole 
world,"  at  length  responded  young  Byam,  curi- 
ous to  know  if  he  could  thus  arrest  the  atten- 
tion of  the  raving  man. 

There  was  no  sign  of  this;  but  those  who 
listened  in  an  adjoining  room  heard  the  name, 
and  looked  from  one  to  another  questioningly. 

"I  think  I  have  heard  that  Byam,  the  in- 
ventor, is  a  native  of  the  town  in  which  Mr. 
Brenner  lives,"  said  Mrs.  Hilliard. 

"  Then  he  knows  all  about  it." 

"  I  suppose  he  must." 

"  And  I  want  to  know  about  the  Brenners." 

"  What  good  will  it  do  ? "  asked  the  elder 
sister.  "  We  cannot  help  them,  and  I  know 
more  about  the  wretched  business  now  than  I 
wish  I  did." 


A  Strange  Meeting.  147 

"That  may  be  your  way,  Mollie,  but  how  am 
I  to  help  unless  I  understand  it  thoroughly  ? " 

"  Help,  child  ?     What  can  you  do  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,  mother.  I  thought  I  couldn't 
do  anything,  but  I  am  not  going  to  sit  down 
and  starve,  without  trying  for  something  bet- 
ter. To  begin  with,  just  as  soon  as  father  is 
really  sober  I  am  going  to  talk  to  him  and  tell 
him  what  I  think.  It  cannot  be  but  what  some- 
thing can  reach  him.  I  know  when  the  trouble 
began." 

"When?" 

"  When  wine  was  first  put  into  the  cellar  by 
father's  orders,  to  be  brought  on  the  table  and 
left  standing  on  the  sideboard.  George  learned 
to  drink  wine  at  home,  and  it  is  a  mercy  we 
girls  are  not  drunkards.  I  would  rather  die 
than  marry  a  man  who  ever  tastes  of  wine." 

"  Grace,  dear,  you  are  becoming  excited." 

"It  is  time  to  become  excited,  mother;  and 
time,  too,  to  call  things  by  their  right  names. 
Nothing  else  can  be  so  bad  as  going  to  a  low 
saloon  for  father  and  find  him  so  drunk  that  he 
could  not  stand.  After  that  I  think  lean  bear 
anything.  I  am  growing  desperate." 

"  Grace,  Grace !  have  you  no  mercy  on 
mother  ? " 

"  Certainly  I  have.  I  love  mother  as  well  as 
you  do.  I  could  sit  down  and  cry  until  morn- 


148         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

ing.  I  wish  I  dared  to  do  it,  but  that  would 
help  nobody.  As  soon  as  father  is  quiet  I  shall 
ask  Mr.  Byam  to  come  into  this  room  where  I 
can  talk  with  him." 

"  How  will  that  help  us  ? " 

"I  don't  know." 

"  You  forget  that  he  is  a  stranger,"  said  Mrs. 
Hilliard,  looking  at  her  young  daughter  with 
wondering  admiration. 

"  I  know  he  is  a  stranger,  but  I  am  sure  he  is 
to  be  trusted,  and  I  think  he  can  tell  me  what 
I  wish  to  know  about  the  Brenners.  It  will  be 
dreadful  if  they  are  obliged  to  give  up  their 
home.  I  have  heard  that  it  is  a  grand  old 
place,  and  Tamson  is  such  a  lovely  girl.  Mrs. 
Brenner  is  so  beautiful,  too.  How  can  one  like 
her  bear  poverty,  and  all  because  her  husband 
was  so  kind,  and  thought  others  as  honorable 
as  himself. 

"They  must  hate  us  all.  If  I  was  a  man  I 
would  earn  the  money  and  pay  Mr.  Brenner 
every  dollar  that  is  his  due.  I  hope  they  are 
not  as  poor  as  we  are." 

"  Hush,  Grace.  How  can  you  talk  so  ?  Mo- 
ther is  not  to  blame.  Have  you  no  thought  for 
her?" 

"  I  have  all  thought  for  her,  and  for  the  Bren- 
ners too.  I  am  going  to  work  for  them  all." 

"  Grace,  my  child,  you  don't  realize  what  you 


A  Strange  Meeting.  149 

are  saying.  How  can  you  ever  earn  so  much 
money  ?  It  is  a  small  fortune  in  itself." 

"  And  all  gone  for  worse  than  nothing.  It  is 
dreadful  to  think  how  we  are,  and  know  it  is 
just  the  abominable  drink  that  has  done  it." 

Again  the  elder  sister  attempted  to  stay  this 
torrent  of  words,  but  Grace  Hilliard  had  been 
thinking  in  silence,  until  now,  when  it  all 
seemed  clear  to  her,  she  would  not  be  repressed. 
She  was  quite  determined  to  ask  Mr.  Byam  in 
regard  to  the  Brenners,  in  order,  as  she  said, 
that  she  might  know  what  was  best  to  do. 

While  this  was  under  consideration  there  was 
a  rap  on  the  kitchen  door,  followed  by  the  lift- 
ing of  the  latch,  as  if  the  person  seeking  admis- 
sion was  impatient  of  a  moment's  delay;  but 
the  door  was  locked.  Again  an  attempt  was 
made  to  open  it  from  without,  and  at  the  same 
instant  a  husky  voice  was  heard. 

"  Let  me  in.  If  you  have  any  mercy,  let  me 
in.  I  am  starving." 

"  It  is  George,"  said  Grace,  and  hastened  to 
open  the  door. 

He  was  only  fairly  within  the  room  when  he 
fell  heavily  to  the  floor ;  at  sight  of  which  Mrs. 
Hilliard  shrieked  and  fainted. 

As  Mr.  Hilliard  was  now  in  a  condition  to  be 
left  with  safety,  Thaddeus  Byarn  came  to  the 
rescue,  and  by  well-directed  efforts  succeeded  in 


150         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

reviving  George  Hilliard,  who  feebly  begged  for 
food. 

"  Is  he  drunk  ?  "  asked  his  sister. 

"  No ;  I  think  he  is  nearly  starved." 

"  And  we  have  so  little  to  give  him.  We  have 
sold  almost  everything  that  would  bring  us  any 
money,  and  we  have  only  tea  and  crackers  in 
the  house.  We  never  were  so  poor  before." 

"  Crackers  and  tea  is  all  he  should  have  at 
present.  He  must  be  fed  carefully." 

"  Mother !  where  is  my  mother  ?  "  whispered 
the  son,  who  was  still  lying  on  the  floor,  with 
his  head  supported  by  a  cushion. 

"  Mother  is  here,"  was  replied,  as  soon  as  she 
could  speak.  "I  am  here;  but  oh,  my  son,  my 
son,  that  I  should  have  lived  to  see  this  night. 
Your  father  brought  home  too  intoxicated  to  be 
able  to  walk,  and  now  you 

"  Mother,  believe  me,  for  I  am  speaking  the 
truth.  I  have  not  tasted  liquor  of  any  kind  for 
a  month,  and  I  will  die  before  another  drop 
shall  pass  my  lips.  It  is  two  days  since  I  have 
tasted  food,  and  ten  times  that  since  I  have 
had  a  square  meal.  Give  me  something  to  eat 
and  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it.  I  am  starv- 
ing." 

Food  wras  given  him ;  at  first  sparingly,  and 
afterward  in  larger  quantities,  until  nothing  re- 
mained for  the  family ;  while  both  he  and  they 


A  Strange  Meeting.  151 

needed  something  more  substantial  than  tea  and 
crackers. 

Grace  Hilliard  found  the  opportunity  she  de- 
sired to  ask  in  regard  to  the  Brenners,  and  when 
told  of  Stafford's  claim  upon  their  home,  she 
said: 

"  I  will  tell  father  and  George  of  that.  That 
will  influence  them  if  anything  will,  and  that 
mortgage  shall  be  paid  if  I  beg  the  money." 

In  the  early  morning,  soon  after  Thaddeus 
Byam  had  left  the  cottage  in  which  he  had  spent 
the  strangest  night  of  his  life,  a  market-basket 
containing  an  ample  supply  of  food  for  the  day 
was  brought  to  the  door ;  the  bearer  saying  it 
had  been  paid  for.  When  the  contents  were 
examined,  Mrs.  Hilliard  said,  with  tears  stream- 
ing down  her  cheeks : 

"  I  would  rather  die  than  live  upon  charity." 

George  and  Grace  said : 

"  We  will  live  upon  charity  and  be  thankful 
for  it  until  we  have  proved  ourselves  worthy  of 
the  charity." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

UNDEK     THE     LINDENS. 

"  THE  old  bench  is  as  strong  as  ever ;  good 
for  twenty  years  more  of  service,"  said  Luke 
Brenner,  as  he  seated  himself  and  looked  off 
upon  the  fair  landscape. 

He  was  quite  unlike  the  man  who  had  passed 
that  way  in  the  early  spring-time,  disheartened 
and  discouraged.  He  was  older  by  some  months, 
but  these  months  had  been  so  full  of  work  and 
its  compensation  that  the  wheels  of  time  seemed 
to  have  rolled  backward  rather  than  forward. 

Everything  had  prospered  in  his  hands,  and 
he  had  many  plans  for  the  future.  His  wife's 
energy  and  ability  wrere  a  constant  surprise  to 
him.  If,  for  a  moment,  he  was  disposed  to  look 
on  the  dark  side,  she  would  insist  that  all  was 
light ;  and  although  no  provision  had  yet  been 
made  for  redeeming  the  place,  she  was  so  sure 
this  would  be  accomplished,  he  had  come  to 
share  in  her  faith. 

Tamson  and  Ann,  with  Mrs.  Turner  and  Dolf, 
allowed  nothing  from  dairy,  poultry  yard,  or 
(152) 


Under  the  Lindens.  153 

garden  to  go  to  waste.  There  was  a  market  for 
all  which  could  be  produced ;  the  demand  far 
exceeding  the  supply.  Honey  from  the  Bren- 
ner place  brought  the  highest  price ;  and  never 
had  bees  worked  more  industriously  for  the 
benefit  of  their  owners. 

Every  week-day  morning  Ann  and  Dolf 
started  early  for  the  large  hotel  with  the  old 
farm  wagon,  in  which  was  neatly  packed  what- 
ever could  be  spared  that  would  bring  a  re- 
turn in  money.  The  amount  was  sometimes 
small ;  but  whatever  it  was,  so  much  was  set 
down  to  the  credit  of  the  farm. 

With  his  gaze  still  resting  upon  the  sur- 
rounding landscape,  Mr.  Brenner  was  thinking 
of  all  this,  thankful  for  the  good  which  had 
come  to  him.  So  absorbed  was  he  that  he  did 
not  notice  the  approach  of  a  young  man  until 
he  was  addressed  by  name.  He  looked  up  and 
responded : 

"  George  Hilliard  !  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Brenner,  I  am  George  Hilliard. 
It  is  impossible  that  you  should  bid  me  wel- 
come, but  I  have  walked  a  hundred  miles  to 
ask  you  to  forgive  my  father  and  myself,  and 
to  tell  you  that  we  have  devoted  our  lives  to 
paying  as  much  of  our  debt  to  you  as  is  possi- 
ble for  us." 

This  was  said  hurriedly,  the  last  words  being 


154         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

scarcely  audible.  What  their  utterance  had 
cost  the  speaker  could  be  plainly  seen.  He  did 
not  raise  his  eyes  or  offer  his  hand. 

Nothing  could  have  more  astonished  Mr. 
Brenner ;  but  rising  to  his  feet  and  taking  the 
young  man's  hand,  he  said  cordially : 

"  I  trust  God  will  forgive  all  my  sins  against 
Him.  Why  should  I  refuse  forgiveness  to  those 
who  have  sinned  against  me  ?  George  Hil- 
liard,  I  freely  forgive  both  your  father  and 
yourself." 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  Mr.  Brenner.  It  is  more 
than  I  had  a  right  to  expect ;  but  I  knew  you 
were  a  Christian,  and  Grace  said  real  Christians 
will  forgive  their  enemies.  I  am  the  greater 
sinner.  Father  wronged  you  to  save  me  from 
the  punishment  I  deserved.  We  have  both 
been  down  into  the  depths ;  but  with  your  for- 
giveness, I  believe  we  can  do  something  towards 
redeeming  our  lives." 

"  God  helping  you,  you  can,  and  no  one  will 
rejoice  at  your  prosperity  more  heartily  than  I 
shall.  Your  father  is  one  of  my  oldest  friends. 
We  did  not  always  think  alike,  but  there  was 
no  break  in  our  friendship.  I  thought  he  was 
wrong  on  the  temperance  question.  He  be- 
lieved in  the  moderate  use  of  wine  and  other 
alcoholic  stimulants,  while  I  believed  in  total 
abstinence  of  the  strictest  sort." 


Under  the  Lindens.  155 

"  There  was  where  father  made  a  fatal  mis- 
take. Mr.  Brenner,  I  was  ruined  by  wine- 
drinking,  and  so  was  my  father.  I  learned  to 
drink  wine  at  home  with  my  father.  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  low  his  appetite  dragged  him  ; 
but  1  have  tramped  the  country,  hiding  by  day 
and  walking  by  night ;  half  starved  for  the 
want  of  food,  and  half  crazed  by  my  longing 
for  drink  I  had  no  means  of  obtaining. 

"  The  craving  for  the  old  stimulants  has  not 
left  me;  but  whatever  comes,  I  am  pledged 
never  to  taste  the  cursed  stuff  again.  That  is 
my  only  hope.  Father  is  pledged  too,  and  when 
I  tell  you  what  he  is  doing,  you  will  believe 
that  he  is  in  earnest.  He  is  selling  wood  pre- 
pared for  the  stove  to  poor  people  who  can  buy 
only  in  small  quantities.  At  first  he  bought 
only  a  cord,  which  between  us  we  managed  to 
saw  and  split,  and  when  that  was  sold  he 
bought  two  cords.  There  is  land  enough  be- 
longing to  the  cottage  he  has  rented  to  furnish 
storage  for  the  wood,  and  he  makes  a  small 
profit  on  its  sale.  It  is  humble  business,  but 
it  is  honest." 

"  It  may  be  humble,  but  it  is  not  humiliating. 
Whatever  is  honest  should  be  considered  hon- 
orable ;  and  if  your  father  prospers,  there  is  no 
reason  why  he  cannot  enlarge  his  business.  I 
am  glad  to  hear  from  him,  and  more  glad  than 


156         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

I  can  tell  you,  to  know  that  he  is  at  last  a  tee- 
totaler. You  say  you  walked  a  hundred  miles 
to  reach  here  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  could  not  afford  to  ride.  I 
started  with  only  a  dollar  in  my  pocket  and  a 
pair  of  stout  shoes  on  my  feet.  My  shoes  are 
a  good  deal  worse  for  wear,  but  I  have  ninety 
cents  of  the  dollar  left.  Whatever  else  I  could 
take  with  me  in  the  way  of  clothing  and  toilet 
necessaries  I  brought  in  my  knapsack,  which 
has  served  a  double  purpose.  It  has  been  a  pil- 
low for  my  head." 

"  And  you  have  spent  but  ten  cents  ? " 

"  Only  ten,  Mr.  Brenner,  but  I  have  not 
begged." 

"  A  young  man  with  health  and  strength  does 
not  need  to  beg.  He  has  the  world  before  him 
from  which  to  choose." 

"  The  world  was  all  before  me,  but  with  my 
own  hand  I  closed  the  doors  leading  to  honor- 
able employment,  and  I  must  now  take  a  low 
place ;  but  whatever  I  do,  I  will  do  it  as  well  as 
I  can.  I  wish  to  go  into  a  lumber  camp  some- 
where in  the  wilds." 

"  You  would  find  the  work  hard  and  the 
company  rough  in  a  lumber  camp." 

"  Hard  work  is  what  I  need  ;  and  as  for  com- 
pany, the  exterior  may  be  rougher,  but  the  real 
men  themselves  cannot  be  less  refined  than 


Under  the  Lindens.  157 

many  with  whom  I  have  associated,  and  who 
counted  themselves  gentlemen." 

"  I  presume  that  is  true.  But  what  will  you 
do  before  the  lumber  season  opens  ? " 

"  Whatever  I  can  find  to  do.  I  am  working 
my  way  north.  If  I  could  live  over  the  last  ten 
years  of  my  life  I  would  gladly  do  so ;  but  as  I 
cannot  do  that,  I  am  bound  to  make  the  most 
of  what  remains  to  me.  All  my  regrets  will 
avail  nothing." 

"  Regrets  are  useless,  except  as  they  lead  us 
to  act  more  wisely  in  future." 

George  Hilliard  made  no  reply  to  this,  and 
there  was  a  short  silence,  when,  as  if  thinking 
aloud,  he  said : 

"  And  Stafford  holds  a  mortgage  on  this 
place  ? " 

"  He  does,"  replied  Mr.  Brenner. 

"  He  shall  not  have  it.  My  sister  Grace  says 
she  will  beg  the  money  to  redeem  it,  before 
Clyde  Stafford  shall  ever  own  it.  It  must  be  a 
valuable  estate." 

"  It  is.  I  have  allowed  it  to  deteriorate  in 
value,  but  this  year  we  are  improving  on  that." 

"  You  must  have  some  valuable  timber,  if 
that  stretch  of  woodland  belongs  to  you." 

"  It  does,  and  those  who  can  judge  of  its  value 
better  than  I,  say  the  timber  would  nearly  pay 
the  face  of  the  mortgage.  Of  course  there  is 


158         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

interest  overdue,  but  we  could  pay  that  if  we 
could  manage  to  take  the  mortgage  out  of  Staf- 
ford's hands." 

"Are  you  willing  I  should  look  the  timber 
over  ? " 

"  Certainly  ;  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you  do 
so,  and  I  will  accompany  you." 

George  Hilliard's  father  had  at  one  time  been 
a  large  lumber-dealer,  and  when  a  boy,  George 
Hilliard  had  found  great  pleasure  in  examining 
the  different  varieties  of  wood  and  learning 
their  uses.  He  had  prided  himself  upon  the 
knowledge  thus  acquired ;  and  now,  as  he  was 
seeking  an  occupation  which  would  enable  him 
to  make  a  fresh  start  in  life,  it  was  not  strange 
that  he  should  have  chosen  that  of  lumbering. 

Mr.  Brenner,  knowing  something  of  his  early 
tastes,  was  not  sorry  to  have  his  judgment  in 
regard  to  the  market  value  of  the  grand  old 
trees  he  had  so  long  counted  as  his  own. 

"  Such  oaks ! "  exclaimed  the  young  man. 
"There  is  almost  a  fortune  in  them,  to  say 
nothing  of  anything  else.  They  add  greatly  to 
the  beauty  of  the  landscape,  but  you  can  afford 
to  spare  them.  Thaddeus  Byam  told  me  about 
them,  and  he  said  oak  timber  was  selling  higher 
now  than  ever  before." 

"  Then  you  know  Thaddeus  Byam,"  remarked 
Mr.  Brenner. 


Under  the  Lindens.  159 

For  answer  to  this  his  companion  told  him  of 
the  circumstances  under  which  they  had  met, 
adding : 

"  It  was  he  who  proposed  father's  selling 
wood,  and  when  I  told  him  I  intended  to 
see  you,  he  said  it  was  the  right  thing  to 
do.  Grace  thought  so  too.  She  wished  she 
could  come  with ,  me,  but  she  is  needed  at 
home.  And  besides,  we  had  no  money  for  car 
fare." 

After  this  there  was  much  to  be  said ;  with 
many  questions  to  be  asked  and  answered ;  the 
time  passing  rapidly,  until  the  sun  was  sinking 
toward  the  west. 

"  You  will  be  my  guest  for  the  night,"  then 
said  Mr.  Brenner,  as  they  came  again  to  the  old 
bench  under  the  lindens. 

"Thank  you,  but  I  cannot  accept  your  hospi- 
tality," was  replied.  "  I  am  not  dressed  to  meet 
company,  and  I  must  prove  myself  worthy  to 
come  under  your  roof  before  I  presume  to  do 
so.  I  am  very  grateful  for  your  kindness.  It  is 
more  than  I  deserve ;  but  if  you  would  remem- 
ber me  in  your  prayers  it  might  help  me  some- 
times when  I  am  sorely  tempted." 

"You  shall  have  my  prayers  and  my  best 
wishes ;  and  may  God  bless  you  with  the  choicest 
of  His  blessings." 

O 

The  two  men  clasped  hands  for  a  moment ; 


160         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

then,  turning  away,  George  Hilliard  was  soon 
lost  to  the  sight  of  his  friend. 

An  hour  later  he  called  at  a  lonely  farm- 
house and  asked  for  a  bowl  of  bread  and  milk ; 
and  as  fortune  would  have  it,  found,  at  the  same 
time,  an  opportunity  to  render  the  farmer  an 
important  service,  in  return  for  which  a  more 
substantial  supper  was  set  before  him.  Then 
he  moved  on ;  walking  some  distance  before 
lying  down  to  sleep  in  an  empty  barn. 

The  next  morning  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his 
sister  Grace,  which  he  placed  in  a  directed  en- 
velope, carried  in  his  pocket-book  with  several 
others,  for  this  very  purpose.  This  he  left  at 
the  next  post-office,  and  afterward  made  a  long 
journey  before  another  night. 

At  the  end  of  this  day's  journey  he  rested 
and  looked  about  for  employment,  which  was 
readily  found.  He  was  unused  to  work,  as  any 
one  could  see,  but  he  was  quick  to  learn  and 
faithful  to  perform,  so  that  he  soon  made  friends. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

GRACE   BILLIARD. 

"  MR.  FOWLER,  a  lady  to  see  you." 

The  counting-room  door  was  opened  wider ;  a 
young  lady  passed  in,  and  the  door  was  closed. 

"  Miss  Grace  !  Good-morning,"  said  an  elderly 
gentleman,  turning  from  his  desk  and  extend- 
ing his  hand.  "  Please  be  seated.  I  prefer  sit- 
ting to  standing,  and  so  probably  will  you  when 
you  are  as  old  as  I  am." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Fowler.  I  am  not  sure  but 
I  ought  to  apologize  for  intruding  upon  you  this 
morning,  but  I  had  a  favor  to  ask,"  replied  his 
visitor. 

"  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  having  young  ladies 
ask  favors  of  me,  and  I  should  be  very  sorry  to 
refuse  you." 

"But  I  have  come  to  ask  a  favor  for  another." 

"  And  who  may  the  other  be  ?  " 

"Mr.  Luke  Brenner.  There  is  a  mortgage  on 
his  country  seat.  Clyde  Stafford  bought  the 
mortgage  and  has  foreclosed  on  it.  The  place 
is  worth  twice  the  amount  of  the  mortgage,  and 

(161) 


1 62         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

if  Mr.  Brenner  could  have  time  he  could  pay  it 
easily." 

"And  you  came  to  ask  me  to  advance  the 
money  to  pay  it  ? " 

"  If  you  only  would,  Mr.  Fowler.  I  can't  tell 
you  all  about  it,  but  Mr.  Thaddeus  Byam  can. 
His  home  is  in  the  same  town  as  Mr.  Brenner's, 
and  he  knows  all  about  the  mortgage." 

"  Is  he  the  Byam  who  has  invented  such  a 
wonderful  piece  of  machinery  ? " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  I  have  heard  of  him  as  a  man  to  be  trusted. 
And  you  say  Clyde  Stafford  holds  the  mort- 
gage?" 

u  Yes,  sir ;  he  bought  it  of  the  heirs  of  the 
original  holder  before  Mr.  Brenner  knew  he  had 
any  idea  of  doing  it.  He  offered  himself  to 
Tamson  Brenner,  and  she  refused  him,  and  I 
suppose  now  he  wishes  to  punish  her  by  turn- 
ing the  family  out  of  their  home." 

"  Better  be  turned  into  the  street  than  marry 
him.  Don't  you  think  so,  Miss  Grace  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir.  My  brother  has  done  very  badly, 
but  I  don't  think  he  is  much  worse  at  heart 
than  Clyde  Stafford.  Clyde  Stafford  could  keep 
a  cool  head,  when  George  would  be  crazy  drunk." 

"  Clyde  Stafford  calls  himself  a  man  of  the 
world,  and  such  men  are  not  troubled  with 
many  conscientious  scruples.  I  am  thankful 


Grace  Milliard.  163 

Tainson  Brenner  did  not  throw  herself  away  on 
him.  She  was  a  bright,  pretty  girl,  and  Her- 
bert Brenner  was  as  promising  a  lad  as  I  ever 
saw.  I  used  to  almost  envy  his  father  when  I 
saw  them  together.  His  death  was  a  terrible 
blow  to  the  family.  If  he  had  lived  he  would 
have  been  a  tower  of  strength  in  his  home." 

"  Tamson  is  the  tower  of  strength  now.  If  it 
had  not  been  for  her,  her  father  would  have 
given  up  everything  without  making  an  eifort 
to  save  his  place.  She  is  working  as  hard  as 
their  one  servant,  and  shows  a  wonderful  apti- 
tude for  business." 

"  She  is  a  brave  girl.  It  would  be  a  pity  to 
have  them  lose  their  home." 

"  It  would  be  dreadful,  Mr.  Fowler.  I  would 
be  willing  to  work  hard  for  ten  years  if  I  could 
save  the  place  for  them.  George  has  seen  Mr. 
Brenner.  He  said  that  before  he  started  out  in 
his  new  life  he  must  see  the  man  he  and  father 
had  wronged  so  wickedly.  He  walked  there." 

"How  far?" 

"  More  than  a  hundred  miles." 

"And  George  Hilliard  walked  that  dis- 
tance \ " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  he  was  obliged  to  walk  or  not  go 
there.  He  hadn't  money  to  pay  his  car  fare. 
He  started  from  home  with  only  a  dollar,  and 
when  he  got  to  Mr.  Brenner's  place  he  had 


164         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

ninety  cents  left.  After  he  saw  Mr.  Brenner 
and  talked  with  him,  he  said  he  felt  so  light 
and  happy  he  could  work  or  walk  without  be- 
ing tired.  May  I  read  you  the  letter  he  wrote 
home?" 

"  You  may  read  or  say  anything  to  me  you 
please,  Miss  Grace." 

The  letter  was  read ;  after  which  Mr.  Fowler 
said: 

"If  that  is  true,  the  place  must  be  saved." 

"  Mr.  Byam  says  it  is  true." 

"  I  wish  you  would  ask  Mr.  Byam  to  call  on 


me." 


"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Fowler.  I  know  he  will  be 
glad  to  come.  It  doesn't  seem  possible  that  I  can 
ever  do  you  a  favor;  but  if  I  ever  can,  I  shall 
be  most  happy." 

"  Nobody  knows  what  may  happen,  Miss 
Grace.  I  am  not  as  young  as  I  was  once,  and 
my  eyes  don't  serve  me  as  they  did.  If  my 
daughters  had  lived  our  house  would  be  less 
lonely.  Your  father  can  never  be  really  poor 
so  long  as  he  has  you.  Money  is  not  the  best 
thing  in  the  world." 

"  No,  Mr.  Fowler,  but  the  want  of  it  is  very 
inconvenient." 

"  So  it  is,  Miss  Grace ;  so  it  is.  I  shall  not 
forget  your  visit,  and  I  shall  be  ready  to  talk 
with  Mr.  Byam  at  any  time." 


Grace  Milliard.  165 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Fowler;  you  are  very  kind. 
I  hope  you  don't  think  it  was  very  improper  for 
me  to  come  here  this  morning  ? " 

"  Not  at  all,  Miss  Grace ;  not  at  all." 

"Then  I  am  glad  I  came.     Good-morning." 

"  Good- morning,  Miss  Grace." 

The  next  day  Thaddeus  Byam  called  upon  Mr. 
Fowler  and  corroborated  every  statement  made 
by  George  Hilliard  in  regard  to  the  value  of 
the  Brenner  place.  He  knew  the  exact  amount 
of  the  mortgage,  with  the  circumstances  under 
which  it  had  been  given. 

"  There  would  be  no  risk  in  advancing  the 
money,"  he  said  at  length.  "  Once  let  Mr. 
Brenner  feel  at  liberty  to  develop  the  resources 
of  his  estate,  and  the  debt  wrould  soon  be  paid. 
I  could  contract  for  every  foot  of  oak  timber 
within  a  week ;  and  at  such  prices,  too,  as  would 
leave  a  large  margin  of  profit." 

"  Would  Stafford  transfer  the  mortgage  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  we  must  have  the  money  outright. 
He  wants  the  place  for  two  reasons.  To  be  its 
owner  would  gratify  his  revenge ;  and  then  it 
is  the  finest  country  seat  in  the  vicinity.  The 
whole  family  are  doing  their  best  to  save  it,  but 
they  must  have  help.  I  think  they  can  pay  the 
interest  now  due,  with  something  on  the  princi- 
pal before  the  year  closes.  They  certainly  can 
if  allowed  to  cut  the  lumber.  If  there  was  any 


1 66         Old  Benches  with  Neiv  Props. 

prospect  of  my  being  able  to  raise  the  money  I 
should  see  Mr.  Brenner,  and  know  just  what 
might  be  expected  from  them.  My  invention 
is  considered  valuable,  and  I  would  give  you  or 
any  other  honorable  man  a  claim  upon  the  sales, 
to  be  redeemed  by  me  at  any  time  within  five 
years." 

"In  that  case  you  would  be  the  one  to  help 
Mr.  Brenner  out  of  his  difficulties." 

"I  would  be  willing  to  make  a  sacrifice  to  do 
that.  He  gave  me  advice  that  changed  my 
whole  life.  He  was  my  friend  when  I  needed 
friends.  It  is  a  good  deal  for  such  a  man  as  he 
was,  fifteen  years  ago,  to  take  a  poor  boy  by  the 
hand  and  tell  him  what  there  is  for  him  in  the 
world  if  he  will  only  do  his  best." 

"  I  judge  that  you  have  done  your  best,  Mr. 
Byam." 

"  I  have  tried." 

"  Come  to  me  in  a  week  and  I  will  tell  you 
my  decision." 

The  decision  made  it  possible  to  save  the 
Brenner  estate  to  its  rightful  owner.  The 
amount  of  the  mortgage  was  to  be  placed  in  the 
hands  of  Thaddeus  Byam,  he  giving  security  for 
the  same;  the  conditions  being  so  explicitly 
stated,  there  could  be  no  misunderstanding. 
The  money  was  to  be  repaid  in  installments,  at 
such  times  as  were  specified. 


Grace  Hit  Hard.  167 

Mr.  Hilliard  could  not  have  been  more  re- 
joiced had  a  fortune  fallen  to  him ;  and  from 
that  time  he  laid  aside,  each  day,  some  part  of 
his  small  profits,  to  be  applied  to  the  reduction 
of  this  debt. 

"  If  I  was  only  situated  so  I  could  sell  lum- 
ber for  Luke  Brenner,  I  could  do  a  good  thing 
for  myself  and  him  too ;  but  he  would  be  a  fool 
to  consign  it  to  me." 

"  Why  would  he  ? "  asked  Grace. 

"  Because  any  man  is  a  fool  to  trust  another 
who  has  once  deceived  him.  It  is  too  much  to 
expect.  I  must  keep  on  selling  wood  and  coal 
as  the  season  advances.  It  is  poor  business,  but 
it  is  honest,  and  it  keeps  us  from  starving.  I 
am  getting  used  to  the  work,  too,  so  it  is  not  so 
hard  for  me." 

"  If  you  could  have  a  lumber-yard,  father,  I 
would  stay  in  the  office  and  do  all  the  writing, 
so  you  could  have  your  time  outside,"  responded 
Grace.  "  Since  George's  last  letter  I  feel  as 
though  I  could  do  any  amount  of  hard  work." 

"  You  would  make  a  good  saleswoman,"  re- 
joined Mollie.  "  I  watched  you  when  you  were 
measuring  the  wood  for  that  old  lady  and  the 
two  boys.  They  will  be  sure  to  tell  their  neigh- 
bors about  the  young  lady  who  waited  upon 
them  and  asked  them  to  sit  down  and  rest." 

"The  old  lady  looked  so  tired  I  couldn't  help 


1 68         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

asking  her  to  sit  down  and  rest,  and  I  am  sure 
it  did  her  good  to  tell  me  some  of  her  troubles. 
She  said  she  had  been  cheated  in  buying  wood 
because  she  could  only  buy  a  little  at  a  time.  I 
didn't  cheat  her  a  stick,  'though  I  made  a  fair 
profit  on  what  I  sold  her." 

"  What  if  some  of  your  old  friends  had  seen 
you  selling  wood  ? " 

"  It  would  not  have  troubled  me.  I  am  no 
longer  a  society  girl;  and  if  society  cares  no 
more  for  me,  why  should  I  care  for  society? 
Father  is  saved,  George  is  saved,  and  Mr.  Bren- 
ner is  not  to  lose  his  place.  I  keep  repeating 
over  these  blessed  facts  till  I  quite  forget  every- 
thing unpleasant.  So  long  as  we  are  all  alive, 
and  all  doing  as  well  as  we  can,  nothing  can  make 
me  very  unhappy.  I  should  be  a  little  happier 
if  I  was  earning  something  every  day,  but  that 
will  come  in  good  time.  I  am  practicing 
for  it." 

"Is  that  what  you  are  doing  in  your  room  so 
many  hours  every  day  ? " 

"  Yes,  it  is ;  and  when  I  feel  myself  qualified 
I  shall  apply  for  a  position  as  book-keeper, 
unless  father  has  work  for  me." 

Meanwhile  George  Hilliard  had  engaged  him- 
self to  a  large  farmer  for  three  months,  to  do 
whatever  should  be  required  of  him.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  would  join  a  company  of 


Grace  Hilliard.  169 

men  to  go  into  camp  for  the  winter  in  a  north- 
ern forest. 

It  required  the  utmost  effort  of  his  will  to 
follow  the  course  he  had  marked  out  for  him- 
self; but  every  letter  from  home  inspired  him 
with  fresh  courage  and  made  it  possible  for  him 
to  persevere. 

He  made  no  acquaintances  beyond  those  im- 
mediately around  him.  He  was  accounted  un- 
social ;  more  than  one  saying  there  was  some 
mystery  about  him ;  yet  all  trusted  him  and 
treated  him  with  kindness. 

Even  in  his  seclusion  he  heard  of  Clyde  Staf- 
ford's plans  for  money-making,  and  listened  to 
not  infrequent  discussions  in  regard  to  the  effect 
of  beer  upon  the  health  and  morals  of  a  com- 
munity. 

"What  do  you  think  about  it,  Hilliard?" 
asked  an  elderly  man. 

"I  think  it  is  a  curse,  morally  and  physi- 
cally," was  replied. 

"But  some  folks  say  if  a  man  drinks  beer 
he'll  be  satisfied  not  to  drink  anything  stronger ; 
and  some  say,  too,  that  everybody  wants  a 
stimulant  of  some  kind.  In  my  young  days  I 
used  to  drink  cider,  and  never  thought  there 
was  anything  wrong  about  it ;  but  lately  I've 
made  up  my  mind  it  ain't  the  best  kind  of 
drink.  I  don't  know  as  it  ever  hurt  me,  but  I 


170         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

don't  want  uiy  grandchildren  to  drink  it.  I 
want  them  to  be  strict  teetotalers.  Then  they'll 
be  safe." 

"  And  that  is  the  only  safety.  If  cider  is  bad, 
beer  is  worse,  and  all  this  talk  about  its  being 
a  temperance  drink  is  a  tissue  of  falsehoods. 
What  should  you  think  of  a  man  who  would 
drink  five,  ten,  or  even  fifteen  glasses  of  beer  a 
day,  for  which  he  paid  five  cents  a  glass  ? " 

u  I  should  think  he  was  a  fool  to  spend  his 
money  so." 

"  But  some  men  will  drink  twenty  glasses  a 
day,  and  1  have  heard  of  a  man  drinking 
thirty." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TWO   DAYS. 

"THADBYAM?" 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Hill ;  here  I  am  at  your  service. 
I  thought  I  should  surprise  you,  as  I  did  grand- 
mother. She  did  not  know  I  was  coming ;  and 
now  that  I  am  here,  I  can  only  stop  two  days. 
I  came  on  the  night  train,  and  must  hurry 
through  my  business  as  fast  as  possible.  I  hope 
Mr.  Hill  is  at  home.  I  was  obliged  to  start 
early  this  morning,  and  hoped  to  be  here  before 
he  would  go  away." 

"He  is  going  soon ;  but  there  he  comes,  and 
he  will  be  glad  to  see  you." 

Greetings  were  exchanged,  and  then  the  pur- 
pose of  the  visit  was  explained.  Thad  Byam 
had  made  arrangements  to  furnish  Mr.  Brenner 
with  whatever  money  was  required  to  release 
him  from  all  obligations  to  Clyde  Stafford. 

"  I  intended  to  be  sure  of  enough,"  said  the 
young  man. 

"You  won't  need  anything  more  than  the 
bare  face  of  the  mortgage,"  was  replied.  "  I  can 
spare  a  hundred  or  two  dollars  toward  the  in- 

(171) 


172          Old  Benches  with  ATew  Props. 

terest,  and  Cousin  Luke's  wife  has  saved  quite 
a  sum.  So  I  think  we  can  manage  the  interest, 
and  it  is  best  for  Cousin  Luke  to  feel  that  he 
has  something  to  do  in  the  matter,  and  forced 
to  do  his  level  best.  He  is  gaining  every  day, 
and  getting  to  have  something  of  his  old  influ- 
ence in  town.  There  are  not  many  in  town, 
either,  but  are  glad  of  it.  Tamson  was  never  so 
well  liked  as  she  is  now ;  and  as  for  her  mother, 
people  are  just  getting  acquainted  with  her. 
But  this  is  not  business." 

During  the  next  half  hour  calculations  were 
made  and  plans  matured,  until  everything  was 
plain  before  them. 

"  I  have  not  told  you,  but  Richard  Anslow 
came  up  here  last  week  and  told  me  he  was 
ready  to  advance  every  dollar  Luke  Brenner 
might  need  to  free  him  from  all  embarrassment. 
The  question  now  is,  shall  he  do  it  or  shall 
you  ? " 

"  I  always  thought  Mr.  Anslow  had  money 
somewhere,"  responded  Thad  Byam  to  this  an- 
nouncement, without  giving  a  thought  to  the 
question  to  be  considered.  "  He  is  a  grand  man, 
and  his  sister  is  a  grand  woman." 

"I  believe  you  are  right,  although  I  have 
seldom  seen  them.  They  never  seemed  to  care  for 
the  people  around  here,  so  Prudence  and  I  have 
not  tried  to  get  acquainted  with  them.  But 


Two  Days.  173 

what  do  you  say,  Thad,  shall  it  be  you  or  Mr. 
Anslow  ? " 

"  I  cannot  answer  that  until  I  have  seen  Mr. 
Anslow.  In  either  case,  security  must  be  con- 
sidered." 

"  Mr.  Anslow  said  lie  wanted  no  security.  A 
note  of  hand  is  all  he  wants,  and  he  says  if  the 
money  is  never  returned  no  one  will  suffer  on 
account  of  it.  I  told  him  there  was  no  doubt 
of  its  being  paid." 

"  Not  a  particle  of  doubt,  Mr.  Hill.  I  have 
planned  for  that  from  the  resources  of  the  place. 
Mr.  Brenner  can  do  it  without  injury  to  his 
estate." 

"  I  wish  you  could  talk  with  Tarn  son.  She 
has  a  clear  head  for  business,  and  she  knows  to 
a  dollar  the  amount  of  their  indebtedness,  and 
what  they  can  pay." 

"  I  am  not  acquainted  with  her,  and,  of  course, 
I  could  not  intrude  myself  upon  her." 

"  She  would  not  consider  it  an  intrusion.  We 
have  been  expecting  her  up  here  to  spend  a  day 
with  us,  and  I  wish  she  would  come  to-day." 

"I  wish  she  would,  but  such  things  happen 
only  in  stories,"  was  replied. 

Everything  being  settled,  so  far  as  this  could 
be  done  by  Jacob  Hill  and  Thad  Byam,  the  lat- 
ter was  about  to  take  his  departure,  when  Mrs. 
Hill  exclaimed : 


174         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  There  is  Taruson,  this  minute.  I  have  been 
on  the  lookout  for  her  all  the  morning.  I  knew 
this  was  one  of  her  most  leisure  days." 

Cordially  welcomed,  she  did  not  know  of 
Thad  Byam's  presence  until  he  was  introduced 
to  her  as  the  young  man  who  had  come  from 
the  city  for  the  express  purpose  of  helping  her 
father  out  of  Stafford's  clutches. 

It  was  Prudence  Hill's  way  of  plunging  into 
the  middle  of  things  at  once;  because,  as  she 
said,  "  it  makes  it  easier  all  'round,  and  every- 
body knows  just  what  to  expect." 

"  He  is  very  kind,"  answered  Tarn  son  Bren- 
ner, and  was  considering  what  more  she  would 
say,  when  the  young  man  began  an  explanation, 
to  which  she  listened  with  surprise  and  de- 
light, although  her  eyes  were  wet  with  unshed 
tears. 

"  And  you  would  embarrass  yourself  to  save 
my  father,"  she  said,  as  he  paused  for  a  moment. 

"It  would  not  embarrass  me,"  he  replied. 
"  Mr.  Fowler  is  an  honorable  man,  and  I  am  to 
repay  him  by  installments,  which  I  can  easily 
do.  Mr.  Hilliard's  family  are  to  help  in  this, 
too.  The  evening  before  I  left  the  city  he  gave 
me  ten  dollars,  which  he  said  he  could  spare  for 
vour  father." 

V 

After  this,  Thad  Byam  told  Tamson  Brenner 
of  the  manner  of  life  the  Billiards  were  lead- 


Two  Days.  175 

ing,  and  the  efforts  Grace  was  making  to  fit 
herself  to  earn  money. 

"  And  Mr.  Milliard  saws  and  splits  the  wood 
he  sells !  " 

"  He  has  so  far,  with  a  little  help  from  friends 
who  are  more  used  to  such  work  than  he  is." 

"  They  must  need  the  ten  dollars." 

"  It  is  better  for  them  to  give  it  than  to  keep 
it.  Mr.  Milliard  is  beginning  to  regain  his  self- 
respect.  He  has  told  me  more  than  once  that 
he  was  ashamed  to  look  &n  honest  man  in  the 
face.  He  thought,  at  first,  he  would  go  where 
no  one  had  ever  heard  his  name ;  but  he  says 
now  he  is  going  to  live  down  his  shame  and 
disgrace  in  the  city  where  he  is  known,  and  I 
believe  he  will  do  it." 

"  I  certainly  hope  he  will.  I  am  sorry  for 
Mollie  and  Grace ;  but  hard  lessons  are  often 
needed,  and  one  never  knows  what  can  be  done 
until  the  trial  is  made.  You  must  have  learned 
that  by  experience,  Mr.  Byam." 

"  I  have,  and,  thanks  to  your  father,  I  had 
courage  to  make  the  trial.  But  for  him,  I  fear 
I  should  have  done  little  good  work  in  the 
world/' 

Tainson  Brenner  was  able  to  give  just  the  in- 
formation desired.  She  knew  how  much  could 
be  expected  from  the  proceeds  of  the  farm.  She 
knew  how  many  trees,  and  of  what  varieties, 


176         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

could  be  cut  for  timber ;  also  the  probable  cost 
of  preparing  it  for  market.  Every  dollar  re- 
ceived for  this  would  be  applied  toward  pay- 
ment of  the  debt  for  which  the  place  had  been 
mortgaged. 

Having  learned  all  this,  Thad  Byam  left 
Eagle  Point,  and  went  to  call  on  Mr.  Brenner, 
whom  he  found  busily  at  work  in  the  orchard  ; 
so  intent  upon  this  work,  that  he  was  not  aware 
of  the  young  man's  presence  until  addressed  by 
name.  He  was  removing  part  of  the  fruit  from 
the  trees,  that  what  remained  might  reach  a 
higher  state  of  perfection. 

"  As  you  see,  there  must  be  a  great  deal  of 
pruning  and  cutting  off,"  he  said,  after  an  ex- 
change of  the  usual  courtesies.  "  One  cannot 
have  all  and  everything  in  this  life.  There 
must  be  a  choice.  Sometimes  we  make  the 
choice  for  ourselves,  and  sometimes  it  is  made 
for  us;  but  always  there  must  be  some  sacri- 
fice." 

"  Yes,  sir;  I  have  learned  that  by  experience. 
You  helped  me  to  make  the  choice  which  has 
given  me  whatever  success  in  life  I  have  gained. 
I  am  here  now  to  make  you  what  return  I  can." 

Mr.  Brenner  looked  at  his  visitor  questiou- 
ingly,  as  if  asking  an  explanation,  which  was 
made  in  as  few  words  as  possible. 

"  And  you  would  do  this  for  me ! "  exclaimed 


Two  Days.  177 

the  old  man,  uncovering  his  head  and  looking 

/  O  O 

reverently  upward.  "It  is  too  much.  I  must 
not  allow  you  to  make  such  a  sacrifice." 

"It  would  be  no  sacrifice  for  me,"  was  re- 
plied. 

Until  that  interview  Mr.  Brenner  had  not 
realized  the  half  of  what  this  young  man  had 
a  right  to  expect  as  the  result  of  his  work. 
When  all  was  told,  came  the  response: 

"  I  am  thankful  for  you ;  thankful,  too,  if  I  was 
able  to  speak  the  right  word  at  the  right  time." 

"  That  was  what  you  did,  Mr.  Brenner.  I 
remember  it  all  as  well  as  if  it  had  occurred  but 
yesterday.  I  did  not  sleep  much  the  night  after 
you  talked  with  me.  You  told  me  you  should 
pray  for  me,  and  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  I 
really  prayed  for  myself. 

"  I  had  repeated  the  prayers  my  grandmother 
taught  me,  but  I  was  only  a  careless,  thought- 
less boy.  The  next  morning  I  began  to  realize 
that  I  had  some  responsibility  in  life.  From 
that  day  to  this  I  have  hoped  the  time  would 
come  when  I  could  give  you  some  substantial 
expression  of  my  gratitude." 

"  The  time  seems  to  have  come,  but  the  ex- 
pression is  out  of  all  proportion  with  the  obli- 
gation, even  estimating  that  at  its  highest  rate." 

"  It  was  a  life  and  a  soul  saved,  Mr.  Brenner." 

There  could  be  no  reply  to  this,  except  in  words 


1 78         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

of  thankfulness  that  such  results  had  blessed 
an  humble  effort  made  in  the  Master's  name. 

The  two  men  walked  out  of  the  garden 
into  the  library,  where  papers  were  produced 
and  estimates  made,  corresponding  with  those 
previously  made  by  Tamson  Brenner. 

"  1  have  been  all  over  this  many  times,  and  I 
had  about  made  up  my  mind  to  go  to  the  city 
and  see  if  I  could  get  help  from  some  of  my  old 
friends ;  but  you  would  save  me  from  the  ne- 
cessity of  that,"  said  Mr.  Brenner  in  a  husky  voice. 

"  And  the  Hilliards.  They  have  done  nobly. 
I  wouldn't  have  believed  it  was  in  George,  to 
start  off  on  a  hundred-mile  tramp,  and  work 
for  what  food  he  had." 

"  I  expect  he  was  used  to  tramping.  After 
his  father  had  settled  for  his  forgeries,  he 
wandered  off,  no  one  knew  where ;  and  he  told 
me  he  hardly  knew  himself.  He  worked  some 
and  begged  some ;  always  drinking  liquor  when 
he  could  get  it. 

"  He  slept  in  all  sorts  of  places,  with  all  sorts 
of  companions  ;  keeping  mainly  to  large  towns. 
He  was  in  the  city  two  months  before  he  went 
to  his  father's,  starving ;  and  it  was  the  sight  of 
him  that  made  his  father  realize  how  low  they 
had  both  fallen.  That  night  they  signed  a 
pledge  of  total  abstinence,  and  I  believe  they 
have  kept  it," 


CHAPTER  XX. 

A   TEMPERANCE   MEETING. 

THERE  was  only  time  for  people  to  wonder 
why  Thad  Byam  had  come  home  again  so  soon, 
before  he  was  gone.  Their  astonishment  was 
greatly  increased  when  he  appeared  upon  the 
village  street  in  less  than  a  week  from  the  time 
he  had  left. 

During  his  first  visit  he  had  seen  Mr.  Anslow, 
when  all  arrangements  were  made  for  the  pay- 
ment of  Mr.  Brenner's  debt.  It  was  thought 
best,  however,  to  consult  Mr.  Fowler,  which 
was  done ;  and  although  he  was  ready  to  ad- 
vance the  money,  he  was  also  ready  to  accede 
to  the  new  proposal. 

The  loan  was  made  to  Thaddeus  Byam,  who 
transferred  it  at  once  to  Mr.  Brenner,  accepting 
no  security,  and  expressing  the  utmost  pleasure 
in  being  able  thus  to  make  some  return  for  past 
kindness. 

Before  the  evening  of  the  day  in  which  all 
claim  upon  the  Brenner  place  passed  forever 
from  the  hands  of  Clyde  Stafford,  the  town  rang 
with  the  news. 

"  Thank  God,"  said  many  a  man  and  woman 

(179) 


180          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

to  whom  a  helping  hand  had  been  extended 
when  they  were  in  trouble.  Thad  Byam  was 
the  hero  of  the  hour;  people  passing  around 
him  for  the  privilege  of  speaking  to  him. 

u  I  never  expected  to  see  such  a  day  as  this," 
said  an  old  man,  who  was  leaning  upon  his 
cane.  "  I  remember  Thad  when  his  grandma'am 
took  him  to  bring  up.  I  remember,  too,  how 
hard  she  worked  to  do  it.  It  seemed  to  me,  a 
good  many  times,  as  though  she  was  throwing 
away  her  time  and  strength,  but  he  has  paid 
her  for  it  all. 

"  May  God  bless  him  and  make  His  face  to 
shine  upon  him.  May  God  give  him  riches, 
and  long  life  in  which  to  serve  his  fellow-men." 

"Amen,"  was  responded  heartily,  and  then 
as  Thad  Byam  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  old  man, 
he  sprang  forward,  saying  cordially : 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Gransir  Lane.  You 
are  carrying  your  years  well.  I  hope  you  are 
made  comfortable." 

"  I  hain't  anything  to  complain  of,  Thad.  My 
children  are  good  to  me,  and  so  are  my 
grandchildren.  There's  one  thing,  though,  that 
troubles  me  about  the  boys.  It's  the  brewery 
that's  building,  and  the  saloon  they've  got  run- 
ning. So  far  we've  kept  our  boys  out  of  the 
saloon;  but  nobody  knows  how  much  longer 
we  can  do  it. 


A    Temperance  Meeting.  181 

"  Seems  as  though  the  devil  helped  such  places 
along.  If  the  women  that  profess  to  be  Chris- 
tians had  been  as  busy  as  they  ought  to  be, 
seems  as  though  we  needn't  had  this  trouble. 
They  say  you've  got  one  of  our  town  boys  with 
you,  trying  to  make  a  man  of  him.  Tim  Dur- 
rell  is  with  you,  ain't  he  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  he  is,  and  he  is  doing  well.  He  is 
a  bright,  smart  fellow,  too." 

"I  always  knew  that.  You  calculate  he'll 
hold  out,  don't  you  ? " 

"Yes,  sir;  he  would  rather  die  than  go  back. 
He  hasn't  had  a  long  trial,  but  I  believe  Tim  is 
a  Christian." 

"  Been  converted  then  since  he  went  away 
from  here.  You're  a  Christian,  ain't  ye,  Thad  ?  " 

"  I  hope  I  am.  Anyway,  I  am  trying  to  do 
my  duty  as  God  would  have  me." 

"  And  trying  to  help  others." 

"That  is  a  part  of  my  duty;  a  large  part, 
too." 

"  You  ain't  ashamed  then  to  say  that  you 
love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

"  Ashamed !  Why,  Gransir  Lane,  I  think 
being  a  Christian  is  the  grandest  thing  in  the 
world ;  and  to  have  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  a 
friend  is  the  highest  honor  a  man  can  attain." 

"  Thank  God  for  letting  me  live  to  hear  you 
say  that,  I  wish  our  boys  were  all  of  that 


1 82          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

mind.     There's  going  to  be  a  fight  over  them, 

and  nobody  knows  which  will  win  in  the  end." 

"  In  the  end  the  right  is  sure  to  win." 

"  I  know  that,  Thad,  but  I'm  afraid  we  ain't 

near  enough  to  the  end,  so  but  what  the  wrong 

will  have  some  more  triumphs.     There's  a  blight 


come  on  us." 


Those  who  heard  this  conversation  were 
strangely  impressed  by  its  earnestness  and  the 
contrast  between  the  speakers ;  one  having  long 
ago  passed  the  allotted  age  of  man,  while  the 
other  was  in  the  glory  and  strength  of  young 
manhood. 

But  there  was  another  clique  who  professed 
friendship  for  Clyde  Stafford,  and  denounced 
Thad  Byam  as  a  meddler.  The  saloon-keeper 
was  using  every  art  to  increase  the  number  of 
his  customers,  even  offering  prizes  to  those  who 
patronized  him  most  liberally. 

"  What  can  be  done  to  counteract  the  influ- 
ence of  the  rum  power?"  was  a  question  often 
asked ;  and  on  this  occasion  it  was  answered  by 
Gransir  Lane,  who  said : 

"Let's  have  a  temperance  meeting  to-morrow 
evening  in  the  town  hall.  We  hain't  had  such 
a  meeting  lately,  and  we  ought  to  have  one. 

"  Thad  can  tell  us  how  he  came  to  start  on  a 
new  track,  when  folks  were  afraid  he  was  going 
the  same  way  some  others  did.  We  want  him 


A    Temperance  Meeting.  183 

to  tell  us,  too,  how  he  come  to  think  of  making 
that  machine  folks  talk  so  much  about.  That 
wouldn't  be  talking  about  temperance,  but  it's 
got  something  to  do  with  it.  We  want  to  know 
how  he  managed  to  earn  and  save  money  enough 
to  do  so  much. 

"There's  others  that  can  help  fill  up  the  time. 
Then  we  want  some  singing,  and  I  rather  guess 
I  can  help  that  along  with  my  bass-viol.  I 
can't  sing  very  well,  but  I  can  keep  time  and 
tune  with  my  old  viol." 

After  some  consideration  it  was  decided  to 
have  the  temperance  meeting.  Mr.  Brenner 
consented  to  preside.  The  clergymen  were  per- 
suaded to  take  seats  upon  the  platform.  Tarn- 
son  Brenner  arranged  for  the  singing,  taking 
the  lead  herself;  so  there  was  no  danger  of  fail- 
ure in  the  musical  entertainment. 

As  there  had  been  no  temperance  meeting  in 
town  for  years,  this  was  regarded  as  quite  an 
event.  Care  was  taken  to  advertise  the  meet- 
ing as  widely  as  possible.  Dolf  Turner  was 
sent  in  one  direction,  while  a  lad  who  could  be 
trusted  was  sent  in  another;  each  being  in- 
structed to  ask  each  one  whom  they  notified  to 
notify  others. 

As  a  result  the  hall  was  well  filled ;  many 
coming  several  miles  to  see  and  hear  something 
new.  Mrs.  Byam  was  there;  so  thankful  and 


184         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

happy,  she  had  no  words  to  express  her  happi- 
ness. 

After  the  opening  prayer  and  the  singing  of 
a  hymn,  to  which  the  old  bass-viol  lent  a  vigor- 
ous accompaniment,  Mr.  Brenner  made  a  short 
speech,  in  which  he  deplored  the  poverty  and 
wretchedness  caused  by  the  use  of  intoxicating 
drinks.  He  then  introduced  the  speaker  of  the 
evening :  "  Our  townsman,  Thaddeus  Byam." 

It  was  a  new  position  for  the  young  man,  and 
at  first  his  words  came  slowly ;  but  as  he  looked 
into  the  faces  before  him,  he  soon  forgot  all  else, 
in  his  desire  to  say  what  might  have  an  influ- 
ence for  good. 

He  went  back  to  his  boyhood,  when,  careless 
of  the  future,  he  had  welcomed  any  excitement 
which  promised  an  hour  of  fun  or  frolic.  He 
told  of  the  warning  he  had  received  ;  the  coun- 
sel which  had  been  given  him,  and  lastly  of  the 
long,  sleepless  night  when  the  decision  had  been 
made  to  which  he  attributed  whatever  of  suc- 
cess he  had  achieved.  He  then  told  of  his  work 
in  the  humble  garret;  the  time  snatched  from 
sleep ;  his  frugal  fare  and  constant  self-denials, 
that  he  might  accomplish  what  he  had  set  him- 
self to  do. 

Passing  rapidly  over  these  personal  reminis- 
cences, he  spoke  upon  the  great  question  of  tem- 
perance or  total  abstinence.  He  cited  numer. 


A    Temperance  Meeting.  185 

ous  instances,  some  of  which  had  come  under 
his  own  observation,  where  young  men  with 
every  advantage  of  education,  influential  friends, 
and  abundant  means,  had  sunk  into  infamy  and 
poverty  because  of  their  drinking  habits. 

In  this  connection  he  spoke  of  beer-drinking, 
claiming  that  it  was  evil  and  only  evil ;  the  ex- 
pense of  the  habit  being  a  waste  no  man  could 
afford.  He  read  from  statistics  gathered  by 
men  who  would  make  no  mistake  in  their  esti- 
mates, showing  the  large  amount  of  beer  manu- 
factured, and  the  enormous  profits  from  its 
manufacture  and  sale. 

"  Brewers  become  enormously  rich,  while  beer- 
drinkers  grow  poorer  every  day,  by  the  amount 
they  pay  for  beer.  A  confirmed  beer-drinker, 
taking  no  more  than  the  average  amount,  daily, 
will  spend  enough  to  pay  for  a  comfortable  home. 

"  In  ten  years  he  will  waste  time  enough  over 
his  beer,  which  if  spent  over  good  books  would 
make  him  an  intelligent  man.  He  will  poison 
his  blood,  and  in  every  way  make  himself  a 
coarser,  more  disagreeable  man.  I  will  say  noth- 
ing of  the  appetite  for  stronger  alcoholic  drinks, 
almost  sure  to  be  created  by  the  use  of  beer." 

There  was  a  perceptible  stir  throughout  the 
audience  when  beer  was  mentioned.  There  were 
many  present  who  had  voted  for  the  brewery, 
and  whose  fields  of  barley  were  ripening  for  the 


1 86         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

harvest.  There  were  boys  who  had  listened  to 
specious  arguments  in  fa\7or  of  beer,  and  who 
already  knew  its  taste;  yet  so  implicitly  did 
they  believe  in  Thad  Byam,  they  were  ready  to 
accept  whatever  he  said  as  true.  They  nodded 
to  each  other  significantly,  following  him  in  his 
calculations,  as  he  told  what  luxuries  the  money 
now  spent  for  beer  and  tobacco  would  give  to 
every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  country. 

At  the  close  of  his  "talk"  he  presented  a 
pledge  binding  all  who  signed  it  to  abstain 
from  all  alcoholic  drinks,  including  beer  and 
cider ;  and  to  his  surprise,  some  from  whom  he 
had  expected  decided  opposition  were  among 
the  first  to  sign  this  pledge.  The  number  en- 
rolled was  much  larger  than  the  most  sanguine 
had  dared  to  hope.  An  attempt  to  create  some 
disturbance  had  so  signally  failed,  the  promoters 
were  ready  to  disavow  the  attempt,  and  con- 
tented themselves  with  criticisms  uttered  half 
under  their  breath. 

"  That  pledge  business  was  a  trap  sprung  on 
the  folks  before  they  realized  what  it  meant," 
said  one  who  was  careful  to  assert  his  inde- 
pendence and  his  right  to  do  as*  he  pleased. 

If  this  were  true,  the  trap  had  been  so  well 
baited  that  the  victims  entered  it  willingly ;  and 
so  Thad  Byam,  the  inventor,  was  pitted  against 
Clyde  Stafford,  the  brewer. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

IN    A    LUMBER    CAMP. 

IT  had  cost  George  Hilliard  a  severe  struggle 
to  come  to  a^  decision  to  acknowledge  his  past 
life  to  the  man  from  whom  he  desired  employ- 
ment for  the  winter;  but  the  decision  once 
reached  he  did  not  hesitate. 

So  soon  as  he  had  proved  his  ability  to  per- 
form manual  labor  successfully,  his  sister  Grace 
urged  him  to  make  no  further  attempt  to  con- 
ceal his  identity. 

"  We  must  face  the  world  in  our  new  position, 
and  the  sooner  we  do  this,  the  easier  it  will  be," 
she  wrote  in  one  of  the  letters  which  came  to 
him  regularly  each  week.  "  Now  that  Mr.  Bren- 
ner's place  is  safe,  I  can  bear  anything.  He  has 
written  a  very  kind  letter  to  father,  and  you  can 
hardly  imagine  how  much  that  letter  has  done 
for  us.  It  has  just  lifted  us  up  out  of  our 
troubles,  so  that  father  does  twice  the  work  he 
did  before. 

"  We  are  selling  kindlings  now,  which  adds 
very  materially  to  our  profits.  Our  business  is 
getting  too  large  for  our  accommodations.  I 

(187) 


1 88         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

have  some  book-keeping  to  do,  and  hope  for 
more. 

"  Don't  go  into  the  woods  for  the  winter  until 
you  have  made  a  clean  breast  of  it  to  the  man 
for  whom  you  wish  to  work.  If  he  will  not 
employ  you  after  that,  try  another.  Anything 
is  better  than  living  in  constant  fear  of  ex- 
posure." 

Mr.  Luscomb  employed  only  picked  men  who 
could  be  relied  upon  in  every  emergency ;  men 
who  were  total  abstainers  from  all  alcoholic 
stimulants;  who  regarded  the  Sabbath  and 
reverenced  the  name  of  God.  So  far  as  pos- 
sible, he  employed  Christian  men,  who,  while 
working  hard,  were  not  likely  to  miss  oppor- 
tunities for  mental  improvement.  Luscomb's 
camp  was  a  model  of  comfort  and  convenience; 
while  the  fare  was  generous  and  wholesome. 

"The  best  owner,  the  best  foreman,  and  the 
best  gang  of  men  anywhere  in  our  lumber 
region,"  said  the  farmer  for  whom  George  Hil- 
liard  had  worked  through  the  autumn.  "  If 
you  can  get  a  chance  in  that  camp  you  better 
take  it.  Likely  Luscomb  will  ask  a  good  many 
questions  he'll  expect  you  to  answer  fair  and 
square.  I  took  you  on  trust,  and  I  hain't  seen 
any  reason  to  be  sorry ;  but  it's  different  when 
you're  going  in  for  an  all-winter's  job.  I'll 
recommend  you  as  far  as  I  know." 


In  a  Lumber  Camp.  189 

"  Thank  you,1'  replied  George  Hilliard,  and 
decided  at  once  to  see  Mr.  Luscomb. 

The  gentleman  was  at  home  when  he  called 
early  one  evening,  and  made  known  his  business. 

"  I  am  one  man  short,"  was  replied. 

"  Can  I  supply  that  lack  ? "  asked  George 
Hilliard.  "  I  have  had  no  experience  in  lumber- 
ing, but  I  know  something  of  trees  and  their 
relative  value  when  converted  into  lumber." 

Having  said  this,  he  proceeded  to  make  a 
plain  statement  of  his  case  ;  speaking  hurried- 
ly, as  if  fearful  that  he  might  fail  of  his  purpose. 

"  And  you  are  George  Hilliard,  who  ruined 
his  father,  who  in  turn  ruined  Luke  Brenner." 

"  I  am  George  Hilliard,  who  ruined  his  father, 
but,  thank  God,  Luke  Brenner  is  not  ruined. 
He  will  redeem  his  place,  and  if  God  gives  me 
health  and  strength,  I  will  pay  him  every  dol- 
lar that  is  his  due." 

"  You  have  a  life-work  before  you,  but  I  am 
glad  to  know  there  is  hope  for  Mr.  Brenner. 
Why  did  you  tell  me  so  much  of  yourself? " 

"  Because  I  wished  you  to  know  the  truth 
about  me." 

"  But  I  might  not  wish  to  hire  such  a  man  as 
you  confess  to  have  been." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  thought  of  all  that.  I  am  very 
anxious  to  be  employed  by  you,  but  I  would 
rather  be  refused  than  be  accepted  without  your 


190         Old  Benches  ivith  New  Props. 

knowing  my  history;  although  it  seems  as  if  my 
whole  life  depended  upon  your  answer  to  me 
this  evening." 

"  You  would  not  go  back  to  your  old  ways  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  never.  I  shall  not  do  that,  let 
come  what  will.  I  have  learned  that  I  have 
strength  for  hard  hand-work,  and " 

Here  the  speaker  paused,  unable  to  say  more. 

Mr.  Luscomb  looked  at  him  for  a  moment, 
and  then  said : 

"I  am  going  to  trust  you.  My  men  will  go 
into  the  woods  a  week  from  next  Monday,  and 
you  can  go  with  them.  I  shall  go  too,  and  stay 
perhaps  for  a  fortnight.  I  always  start  them 
off  myself.  By  that  time  my  foreman  will 
know  what  place  you  can  fill  best,  and  decide 
what  your  wages  shall  be.  I  suppose  you  are 
prepared  to  rough  it  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  think  I  am  quite  prepared  for 
that.  I  thank  you  for  giving  me  employment, 
and  I  will  do  my  best  for  you.  If  I  fail,  it  will 
not  be  for  want  of  hearty  good-will." 

"  You  need  not  fail.  I  believe  you  will  not 
fail." 

At  last  preparations  were  completed,  and  the 
men  went  to  their  winter's  work,  with  cattle, 
horses,  and  all  needed  supplies ;  Mr.  Luscomb 
superintending  in  person,  watching  every  move- 
ment and  ordering  every  detail. 


In  a  Lumber  Camp.  191 

During  the  fortnight  spent  in  carnp  he  was 
able  to  judge  of  George  Hilliard's  skill  and  in- 
dustry, which  more  than  realized  his  expecta- 
tions ;  and  for  which  he  took  occasion  to  com- 
mend the  young  man. 

"  I  hope  you  will  have  an  eye  on  Aries,"  he 
said,  when  about  to  leave.  "The  boy  came  to 
me  two  months  ago  and  asked  for  work.  He 
was  dressed  poorly,  and  had  evidently  been 
poorly  fed ;  and  that  is  all  I  know  about  him, 
except  that  he  has  worked  enough  to  pay  his 
board  and  buy  a  decent  suit  of  clothes. 

"  He  declines  to  answer  any  questions  about 
himself.  So  far  as  I  know,  he  neither  writes 
nor  receives  any  letters.  Perhaps  you  can  gain 
his  confidence.  He  is  not  strong,  and  I  objected 
to  his  coming  into  the  woods,  but  his  heart  was 
set  on  it.  He  is  more  likely  to  be  attracted  to 
you  than  to  any  other  one  of  the  men,  and  you 
may  be  able  to  do  him  good." 

There  was  not  much  to  break  the  monotony 
of  the  days,  except  when  a  heavy  fall  of  snow 
interrupted  for  a  little  the  usual  routine.  The 
winter  was  severe,  yet  work  progressed  fairly, 
with  promise  of  benefit  to  all.  Young  Aries 
was  the  only  one  of  the  company  who  suffered 
from  positive  illness,  and  then,  in  his  weakness 
and  longing  for  sympathy,  he  told  George  Hil- 
liard  his  story ;  such  as  had  been  told  many  a 


192         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

time  before,  and  will  be  told  many  a  time  again, 
so  long  as  alcohol  shall  madden  the  brain  and 
debase  the  moral  nature. 

"I  want  to  see  my  mother,"  said  the  poor 
fellow.  "  I  would  be  willing  to  die,  if  I  could 
only  see  my  mother.  She  loves  me,  but  my 
father  cares  only  for  money,  and  my  brother  is 
like  him.  Oh,  mother !  mother !  " 

So  he  would  moan,  sobbing  out  his  grief  in 
George  Milliard's  arms;  left  much  to  himself 
through  the  day,  but  clinging  close  to  his  friend 
at  night. 

"  Just  enough  money  to  bring  me  to  America, 
and  then — Oh,  mother !  mother !  I  wish  I  had 
died.  I  don't  want  to  go  out  of  the  woods.  I 
have  nowhere  to  go,  unless  you  take  me  with 
you,  and  you  couldn't  do  that." 

Nothing  better  could  have  come  to  George 
Hilliard  than  this  dependence  of  another  upon 
his  care  and  tenderness.  The  entire  discipline 
of  the  winter  strengthened  and  developed  him 
in  the  right  direction.  He  made  no  secret  of 
his  past  follies ;  and  the  frankness  with  w7hich 
these  were  acknowledged  and  deplored,  so  far 
from  creating  a  prejudice  against  him,  only 
served  to  win  for  him  a  more  sincere  friendship. 
When  the  spring  opened,  not  a  man  in  camp 
but  trusted  and  respected  him. 

He  was  going  home  to  his  parents,  but  would 


In  a  Lumber  Camp.  193 

first  visit  Mr.  Brenner.  Ben  Aries  was  going 
with  him,  hoping  that  somewhere  there  could 
be  found  "  a  place  for  a  poor  boy  to  be  taken 
in  and  allowed  to  work  for  his  board." 

"  It  almost  seems  to  me  I  might  get  well,  if  I 
could  only  see  my  mother,"  said  the  young  man. 
"  I  can  never  pay  you  for  your  kindness ;  but  if 
you  ever  see  my  mother  tell  her,  and  she  will 
pay  you." 

"  You  will  see  your  mother  before  I  do,"  re- 
plied his  friend.  "  We  will  find  a  home  for 
you  where  you  will  grow  strong  and  well." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  can't  do  it.  Nobody  wants 
me,  and  I  am  not  worth  much  only  for  loving." 

"  You  are  worth  being  loved,  Bennie.  There 
is  no  one  else  in  the  world,  outside  of  my  own 
family,  whom  I  love  as  I  do  you." 

"  Then  I  will  try  and  live,  because  sometime 
I  may  be  able  to  do  you  a  little  kindness,  and 
won't  I  be  glad  to  do  it,  and  for  Mr.  Luscomb, 
too ! " 

Mr.  Luscomb  was  still  mindful  of  him,  and 
before  he  left  gave  him  a  generous  sum  of 
money,  although  he  had  done  but  little  work 
during  the  winter.  Then  he  started  on  the 
journey  which  proved  for  him  so  eventful. 

Most  unexpectedly,  when  they  reached  the 
town  in  which  Mr.  Brenner  resided,  George 
Hilliard  met  Thad  Byam,  to  whom  he  intro- 


1 94         Old  -Benches  with  New  Props. 

duced  Ben  Aries;  who  in  turn  introduced  him 
to  Mr.  Anslow,  who  was  standing  near. 

"  Aries  is  an  old-country  name,"  said  the  gen- 
tleman. 

u  And  I  am  an  old-country  boy,"  was  re- 
sponded. 

"  I  hope  you  like  the  new  country  ? " 

"  I  do,  because  I  have  found  friends  here,  and 
I  needed  them.  I  am  looking  now  for  more 
friends  who  will  give  me  shelter  and  a  chance 
to  do  such  work  as  I  can." 

Mr.  Anslow  was  interested.  The  two  seemed 
mutually  attracted  to  each  other,  and  withdraw- 
ing a  little  from  their  companions,  engaged  in 
conversation. 

"  I  wish  Mr.  Anslow  would  take  Bennie  home 
with  him,"  said  George  Milliard  after  a  half 
hour  had  elapsed  and  they  were  still  talking 
earnestly.  "  His  face  is  that  of  a  man  who  can 
be  trusted." 

"  I  would  trust  him  for  all  my  life  is  worth ; 
and  his  sister,  who  lives  with  him,  is  worthy  of 
such  a  brother." 

"If  Bennie  only  tells  him  his  story  he  will  be 
sure  to  pity  the  boy." 

"  I  take  it  he  is  English." 

"  Yes ;  he  says  he  is  the  younger  son  of  an 
English  brewer,  who  turned  him  adrift  with 
only  money  enough  to  pay  his  passage  to  this 


In  a  Lumber  Camp.  195 

country.  He  was  a  wild  boy,  and  after  being 
sent  away  from  home  be  was  reckless  and  des- 
perate. But  something  made  him  stop  and 
think ;  and  thinking  made  him  decide  to  change 
his  manner  of  life.  That  is  the  outline  of  the 
story  he  told  me,  and  I  believe  he  told  the 
truth." 

"  If  he  wishes  to  redeem  himself,  Mr.  Anslow 
is  the  very  man  to  help  him." 

This  gentleman  had  listened  to  Bennie's  story 
from  Bennie's  own  mouth,  and  invited  the  boy 
home  with  him  to  spend  a  month.  After  that, 
if  a  change  seemed  desirable,  it  could  be  made. 

"  Now  L  have  to  see  Mr.  Brenner,  and  then  I 
am  off  for  home,"  remarked  George  Milliard. 

"  You  will  find  things  much  changed  at  your 
home,"  replied  Thad  Byam.  "  Your  father  is 
doing  quite  a  good  business,  and  your  sister 
Grace  is  a  popular  saleswoman.  The  poor  peo- 
ple like  to  buy  wood  of  her." 

"  Grace  has  saved  the  family.  Her  letters 
have  been  an  inspiration  to  me.  I  should  never 
have  pulled  through  if  it  hadn't  been  for  them." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A      PRIVATE      INTERVIEW. 

"  HAVE  you  seen  your  paragon  of  perfection  ? " 
asked  Clyde  Stafford  of  a  young  man  who  was 
passing  him  with  a  careless  nod  of  recognition. 

"  Paragon  of  perfection  !  Who  may  that  be  ?  " 
was  responded. 

"  Why,  Thad  Byam.  He  is  back  again  look- 
ing after  the  interests  of  the  town,  I  suppose. 
He  seems  to  have  time  to  attend  to  everybody's 
business." 

"  Without  neglecting  his  own.  No  one  can 
accuse  him  of  that.  He  is  the  smartest  man 
ever  raised  anywhere  'round  here.  I  only  wish 
the  rest  of  us  could  do  as  well  as  he  has." 

"  Paragon  of  perfection,  with  a  forger,  swin- 
dler, and  roue  for  a  friend.  I  never  did  have  so 
much  faith  in  him ;  but  since  I  have  seen  him 
with  George  Hilliard  I  think  I  know  just  about 
how  much  his  pretensions  to  goodness  are 
worth." 

"If  you  know,  please  give  me  the  exact 
value." 

Clyde  Stafford  turned  sharply  at  the  sound 

(196) 


A  Private  Interview.  197 

of  a  voice  he  recognized  at  once  as  that  of  the 
man  whose  character  he  was  considering. 

"I  have  never  been  able  to  come  to  any 
definite  estimate  of  my  goodness,"  continued 
the  speaker.  "  I  intend  to  deal  justly  with  all 
men  and  show  mercy  to  the  unfortunate ;  and, 
Mr.  Stafford,  I  don't  intend  to  enrich  myself  at 
the  cost  of  other  men's  souls.'1 

"Mr.  Byam,  I  stand  convicted.  You  are  a 
paragon  of  perfection,  and  no  one  has  a  right  to 
dispute  your  claim,  but— 

"  I  presume  I  know  what  you  would  say." 

"  Clyde  Stafford,"  now  said  George  Hilliard, 
whose  presence  had  not  before  been  observed, 
"  I  know  of  what  you  can  justly  accuse  me  in 
the  past,  but  having  put  all  that  behind  me,  I 
hope  to  prove  myself  worthy  of  a  good  man's 
friendship." 

"When  you  have  paid  what  it  cost  your 
father  to  save  you  from  the  clutches  of  the  law, 
and  he  has  paid  what  he  owes  Mr.  Brenner,  it 
will  be  time  for  you  to  talk  about  being  worthy 
of  a  good  man's  friendship." 

"That  time  will  come,  Clyde  Stafford,  if  I 
live  ;  and  to-day  I  am  not  ashamed  to  look  you 
in  the  face.  Mr.  Byam  has  been  a  friend  whose 
kindness  1  can  never  repay.  You  had  a  cooler 
head  than  mine.  Where  you  won,  I  lost ;  but 
when  I  was  at  the  lowest,  I  never  saw  the  day 


198        Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

when  I  would  be  guilty  of  making  or  selling 
beer.  That  is  too  low  for  even  such  a  beggar 
as  I  was. 

"  As  for  Mr.  Byam,  you  would  not  dare  speak 
against  him  in  the  city  where  he  is  so  well 
known.  He  is  universally  respected." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  respected.  If  your  whole 
story  was  told,  how  would  it  be  then  ? " 

"  My  whole  story  has  been  told.  I  am  not 
sailing  under  false  colors.  At  first  I  wished  to 
hide  myself,  and  desired  nothing  else  so  much 
as  to  be  forgotten  by  all  who  had  ever  heard 
my  name,  but  I  have  changed  since  then.  You 
cannot  accuse  me  of  worse  than  I  have  confessed, 
and,  thank  God,  you  cannot  lead  me  back  in- 
to the  old  way." 

"  I  lead  you  back !  Do  you  accuse  me  of 
leading  you  into  the  excesses  of  which  you  have 
been  guilty? "  exclaimed  Clyde  Stafford  angrily, 
emphasizing  his  words  with  a  terrible  oath. 

"I  accuse  you  of  nothing,"  replied  George 
Hilliard.  "  I  have  no  wish  to  excuse  myself  by 
blaming  another.  But  before  I  leave  town  I 
have  a  question  to  ask  you ;  it  will  be  for  your 
interest  to  answer  truthfully." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  insinuate  that  I  am  not  in 
the  habit  of  speaking  truthfully  ? " 

"I  insinuate  nothing.  I  only  made  a  remark 
you  will  do  well  to  heed." 


A  Private  Interview.  199 

By  this  time  a  crowd  had  gathered  to  listen 
to  the  colloquy ;  and  having  kept  silence  until 
it  seemed  a  fitting  time  for  him  to  speak,  Thad 
By  am  said  in  a  quiet  tone : 

"Mr.  Hilliard  is  my  friend.  He  has  done 
wrong  in  the  past.  Who  of  us  has  not  ?  He 
has  repented  of  the  wrong.  Who  of  us  has 
done  that  ?  His  father  is  deeply  in  debt  to  Mr. 
Brenner  because  of  that  wrong,  but  something 
has  been  paid  on  that  debt;  and  I  undertake 
to  say  that  every  dollar  now  due  will  be  paid. 
I  am  ready  to  go  bail  for  my  friend's  honesty  in 
future. 

"  I  have  no  quarrel  with  Mr.  Stafford  person- 
ally, but  when  the  people  of  this  town  allowed 
him  to  come  here  to  build  a  brewery  .they  put 
a  heavy  mortgage  on  the  boys  and  young  men. 
Some  of  them  are  paying  the  interest  on  that 
mortgage.  In  a  few  years  interest  and  principal 
will  all  be  in  the  hands  of  the  mortgagee. 

"  And  that  saloon,  started,  as  .the  proprietor 
says,  for  the  convenience  of  Mr.  Stafford's  work- 
men. If  only  for  them,  why  are  such  efforts 
made  to  induce  the  boys  to  drink  beer,  smoke, 
and  chew  tobacco  ?  The  saloon  and  the  brewery 
will  do  a  wholesale  business.  Who  will  dare 
to  say  the  business  will  be  an  advantage  to  the 
town  ? " 

"  I  dare  to  say  it.    When  we  can  sell  our  bar- 


2OO         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

ley  for  cash,  without  middlemen's  profits,  there 
will  be  a  great  advantage.  Some  men  will  get 
more  money  for  their  crop  than  they  ever  got  in 
one  year  before ;  and  there  will  be  more  than 
one  farm  saved  from  going  under  the  hammer. 
You  won't  claim  that  all  this  is  a  disadvantage 
to  the  town." 

"I  claim  that  the  brewery  will  prove  an  un- 
mitigated curse  to  the  town,  but  I  will  not  pro- 
long this  conversation.  I  should  not  have  said  so 
much  if  Mr.  Stafford  had  not  attacked  my  friend." 

"  No  one  envies  you  his  friendship,"  was  mut- 
tered in  reply,  as  Thad  By  am  turned  to  speak 
to  an  old  man  standing  near. 

At  that  moment  George  Hilliard  went  nearer 
to  Clyde  Stafford,  and  asked  i'n  a  low  tone : 

"When  will  you  give  me  a  private  inter- 
view ? " 

"  I  am  too  busy  to  waste  time  in  private  in- 
terviews," was  replied  gruffly. 

"  I  will  not  detain  you  more  than  five  min- 
utes. In  fact,  you  can  answer  my  questions  in 
less  time  than  that.  I  leave  on  the  night  train, 
and  you  must  tell  me  what  I  wish  to  know  be- 
fore I  leave." 

"  What  if  I  refuse  ? " 

"You  will  take  the  consequences.  I  can 
brand  you  as  a  villain,  and  if  an  old  man  and 
his  daughter— 


A  Private  Interview.  201 

"  So  that's  it,  is  it  ?  Of  course  you  would  be 
hatching  up  some  trumpery  charge  against  me, 
but  no  one  will  credit  anything  you  say." 

"  I  have  made  no  charge  against  you,  but  I 
must  know— 

"  I  shall  give  you  no  information." 

"That  is  your  decision?" 

"  Yes.     Are  you  satisfied  ? " 

"  So  far  satisfied,  that  I  shall  act  accordingly. 
That  you  won  money  from  me  when  I  was  in 
no  condition  to  defend  myself,  is  to  my  shame 
and  disgrace  ;  but  when  you  induced  an  old  man 
to  drink  until  intoxicated,  and  then  took  from 
him  his  last  dollar, 'you  committed  a  crime  of 
which  the  law  takes  cognizance." 

"Perhaps  you  would  appear  as  a  witness 
against  me,"  said  the  brewer  with  a  sneer. 

"  I  certainly  would,  and  black  Charley  would 
appear  with  me,"  was  replied.  "  He  had  his  eyes 
and  ears  open,  and  nobody  would  doubt  his  word. " 

"  You  would  not  claim  the  same  truthfulness 
for  yourself." 

"  I  would  not  accuse  you  wrongfully,  but  if 
I  felt  obliged  to  proceed  to  extremities,  I  should 
take  Mr.  Byam  into  my  confidence.  He  would 
know  how  to  manage  the  case." 

"  I  have  no  fear  of  him.  What  does  he  know 
of  gamblers  and  gambling,  unless  he  is  one  of 
the  initiated  ? " 


2O2         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  He  is  not  a  gambler.  I  am  sure  he  has 
never  seen  the  inside  of  a  gambler's  den,  and  I 
wish  I  could  say  as  much  for  myself.  But  I  am 
anxious  now  to  have  justice  done  Mr.  Pulsi- 
fer.  I  think  I  know  a  lawyer  who  would  under- 
take the  case ;  one  who  has  no  reason  to  respect 
either  you  or  your  father." 

"That  means  Owen,  I  suppose.  He  better 
look  out  for  himself  before  he  tries  to  help 
others." 

"  He  is  able  to  do  both." 

"  How  came  you  to  know  so  much  about 
everybody  ?  Where  have  you  been  for  the  last 
two  years  ? " 

"  That  is  no  business  of  yours,  Clyde  Stafford. 
I  am  here  now  for  a  purpose.  In  coming  here 
it  was  not  my  first  purpose  to  see  you,  but  you 
cannot  deny  that  I  know  enough  of  you  to  ruin 
your  reputation  in  any  respectable  community." 

"  I  might  retaliate.  What  brought  you  here, 
anyway  ? " 

"I  came  to  this  town  to  pay  Mr.  Brenner 
some  money.  I  have  not  yet  seen  him.  I  pre- 
sume you  thought  you  were  well  rid  of  me." 

"  I  did ;  and  I  wished  never  to  see  you  again." 

"  That  I  do  not  doubt ;  and  only  for  my  in- 
terest in  an  unfortunate  man  and  his  daughter, 
I  should  not  have  sought  this  interview." 

"If  you  fancy  I  have  any  information  to  give 


A  Private  Interview.  203 

you,  you  will  find  yourself  mistaken ;  but  if  you 
are  determined  to  prolong  this  interview,  come 
into  my  office." 

It  was  a  strange  meeting  for  the  two  who 
had  parted  at  the  door  of  a  saloon,  through 
W7bich,  two  years  before,  they  had  made  their 
way  to  a  gambling-room  above.  One  had  lost, 
the  other  had  won.  One  went  out  into  the 
darkness  desperate  and  reckless ;  the  other  but- 
toned his  coat  around  him,  congratulating  him- 
self upon  his  ill-gotten  gains. 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Pulsifer  ?  "  asked  George  Hil- 
liard  when  the  office  door  was  closed  behind 
them. 

"I  have  not  seen  him  for  a  year,  and  then 
only  a  moment,  as  I  passed  him  in  the  street," 
was  replied. 

"And  his  daughter?" 

"  She  was  with  him.  I  had  not  seen  her  be- 
fore since  I  saw  you.  I  am  telling  you  the 
truth,"  continued  the  speaker ;  judging  rightly, 
that  his  companion  would  be  disposed  to  doubt 
this  assertion.  "  I  pitied  the  old  man,  and  made 
an  effort  to  find  him,  but  I  could  get  no  clue  to 
his  whereabouts.  I  would  have  been  glad  to 
help  him." 

"  Would  you  have  returned  the  money  you 
took  from  him  ?  You  had  no  more  right  to  it 
than  any  thief  has  to  the  money  he  steals." 


2O4         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  You  mean  to  say  that  I  had  no  more  right 
to  it  than  you  had  to  the  money  you  obtained 
on  a  forged  note  ? " 

"  Exactly  that.  The  value  of  the  forged  note 
was  repaid.  Will  you  repay  the  thousand  dol- 
lars taken  from  Mr.  Pulsifer  when  he  was  so 
under  the  influence  of  liquor  as  to  be  incapable 
of  defending  himself  ? " 

"  He  was  not  obliged  to  drink  the  liquor." 

"  You  and  I  know  all  about  that,  Clyde  Staf- 
ford. I  know  far  more  than  I  wish  I  did,  and 
I  was  by  no  means  blameless  in  the  affair.  If 
I  can  find  the  old  man,  I  shall  try  to  make  what 
amends  I  can.  Will  you  try  to  do  the  same  ? " 

"  I  will  wait  until  I  am  sure  Mr.  Pulsifer  will 
receive  what  I  choose  to  give  him.  Have  you 
any  more  questions  to  ask  ?  " 

"  One  more,  and  then  I  have  done  with  you 
for  the  present.  Will  you  return  the  money 
taken  from  Mr.  Pulsifer?  " 

"  If  you  can  prove  that  I  have  taken  money 
from  Mr.  Pulsifer  to  which  I  had  no  right,  I 
will  return  it." 

"I  am  answered.  You  will  hear  from  me 
again." 

Clyde  Stafford  stood  for  fully  ten  minutes 
leaning  against  his  desk,  as  he  had  stood  when 
George  Hilliard  left  him.  He  had  spoken  truly 
when  he  said  he  knew  nothing  of  Mr.  Pulsifer's 


A  Private  Interview.  205 

whereabouts;  yet  that  the  old  man  would  be 
found  he  did  not  doubt. 

It  would  go  hard  with  him  to  relinquish  the 
money  he  had  no  scruples  in  counting  his  own ; 
but  it  would  be  harder  still  to  be  branded  as  a 
villain. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

DR.    LASH. 

IT  had  been  Clyde  Stafford's  intention  to 
open  his  brewery  with  appropriate  ceremonies  ; 
making  a  holiday  not  only  for  his  workmen, 
but  for  all  others  who  would  join  in  the  fes- 
tivities. Instead  of  this,  he  commenced  the 
work  of  beer-making  so  quietly,  that  only  those 
most  interested  knew  when  this  was  done. 

It  was  true  that  he  had  distributed  much 
money  in  town ;  also  that  he  had  given  employ- 
ment to  many  who  would  otherwise  seek  it  else- 
where. He  manufactured  the  barrels  and  casks 
necessary  for  his  use;  purchasing  the  lumber 
from  those  he  was  pleased  to  call  his  "  neigh- 
bors." 

He  wished  to  establish  friendly  relations  with 
the  people.  He  had  thought  himself  sure  of 
their  favor  until  adverse  influences  had  told 
against  him. 

His  failure  to  secure  the  Brenner  place  was  a 
greater  disappointment  than  he  would  have  ac- 
knowledged. He  knew  that  Mr.  Brenner  was 

now  in  a  position  to  prove  a  formidable  antag- 

(206) 


Dr.  Lash.  207 

onist  5  while  Tamson  was  drawing  around  her  a 
large  circle  of  young  people  who  were  ready  to 
assist  her  in  any  enterprise  she  might  under- 
take. 

"  It  is  unfortunate  that  that  mortgage  slipped 
through  your  fingers,"  remarked  Mr.  Stafford, 
senior,  to  his  son. 

"  It  was  no  fault  of  mine,"  was  replied.  "  I 
could  not  refuse  the  money  when  it  was  offered 


me." 


"  They  say  Mr.  Anslow  furnished  it." 

"Yes,  and  he  is  sure  to  receive  it  again.  It 
will  not  take  long  for  the  place  to  clear  itself. 
The  old  man  will  retrieve  his  fortune." 

"  So  I  have  heard.  He  has  the  most  desira- 
ble place  within  twenty  miles.  I  would  pay 
every  dollar  it  is  worth  if  I  could  get  possession 
of  it." 

"  Money  would  not  buy  it." 

"  Then  there  is  Cold  Spring,  and  the  land 
around  it." 

"  Mr.  Anslow  will  own  that  while  he  lives. 
He  will  never  sell  a  foot  of  land;  neither  will 
his  sister.  There  are  some  strange  people  about 
here." 

"  I  think  so,  Clyde.  At  first  it  seemed  as 
though  a  shrewd  man  could  wind  them  'round 
his  finger.  Now  they  are  on  the  alert ;  so  dis- 
trustful, they  will  hardly  believe  the  evidence 


208       Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

of  their  own  senses.  Anyway,  you  are  estab- 
lished here,  and  I  am  ready  to  help  you  punish 
your  enemies.  Money  will  do  almost  anything. 
It  is  as  true  now  as  it  ever  was,  that  every  man 
has  his  price." 

"There  are  some  exceptions  to  that  rule, 
father." 

"That  may  be,  but  I  have  seen  few  in  my 
life." 

"  There  are  some  to  be  seen  in  this  town." 

"  Are  you  really  beginning  to  admire  Mr. 
Brenner  as  well  as  his  daughter?  " 

"  Both  are  worthy  of  admiration.  Tamson 
Brenner  is  a  rare  girl.  I  will  say  that  for  her, 
even  if  she  does  not  approve  of  my  business." 

The  father  frowned  and  made  no  reply  to 
this.  He  did  not  care  to  hear  the  Brenner 
family  praised,  and  presently  he  was  talking  of 
sales,  freight,  and  profits.  Plans  were  perfected, 
estimates  made,  and,  lastly,  the  Stafford  beer 
was  sampled,  and  pronounced  in  every  way  de- 
sirable. 

"  Your  fortune  is  made,"  said  the  elder  gen- 
tleman decidedly.  "  In  ten  years  you  can  whis- 
tle at  the  teetotalers,  and  buy  them  out  by  the 
score.  The  saloon  seems  to  be  doing  a  good 
business.  Anybody  who  once  gets  a  taste  of 
this  beer  is  likely  to  try  it  again.  It  is  a  good, 
healthy  drink,  no  matter  who  says  to  the  con- 


Dr.  Lash.  209 

trary.  Your  workmen  thrive  on  it.  They  are 
a  hearty-looking  set." 

Clyde  Stafford  was  about  to  make  some  re- 
sponse to  these  assertions  when  Dr.  Lash  entered 
the  office;  his  stout  figure  and  bloated  face  be- 
traying his  habits. 

"  A  glass  of  beer !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  this  was 
offered  him.  "  You  need  never  expect  me  to 
refuse  such  drink.  I  believe  in  it.  I  believe, 
too,  that  better  beer  was  never  brewed.  It 
braces  me  up,  and,  Mr.  Stafford,  you  may  be 
sure  I  lose  no  opportunity  to  sound  its  praises. 
I  am  sorry  everybody  does  not  think  about  it 
as  I  do." 

"  I  am  sorry  too,  doctor,  but  we  can  hardly 
expect  all  the  world  to  endorse  our  opinions. 
I  believe  in  every  man  judging  for  himself, 
without  being  dictated  what  he  shall  eat  or 
drink." 

"  There  is  where  we  agree,  Mr.  Stafford  ;  but 
I  don't  like  to  hear  my  friends  accused  of  being 
enemies  to  the  town  when  I  know  they  are 
helping  it  every  day." 

The  old  doctor  was  ready  for  another  glass 
of  beer,  and  continued  his  potations  until  he 
became  even  more  demonstrative  than  usual  in 
his  professions  of  friendship.  It  was  true  that 
he  lost  no  opportunity  to  praise  the  brewery 
and  its  work. 


2io        Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

On  one  occasion,  after  Luke  Brenner  had 
overheard  him  talking  to  some  young  men  in  a 
strain  the  listener  could  not  but  condemn,  he 
was  confronted  with  the  question: 

"  If  your  boy  had  lived,  would  you  be  will- 
ing to  see  him  a  drunkard  ? " 

A  deeper  color  suffused  the  doctor's  face,  and 
his  husky  voice  was  hardly  audible,  as  he  an- 
swered : 

"  My  boy  a  drunkard  !  My  boy  was  as  dear 
to  me  as  your  boy  was  to  you." 

"  I  do  not  doubt  it,"  was  responded.  "  He 
was  a  noble  boy,  of  whom  any  father  might  be 
proud.  My  Herbert  was  very  dear  to  me,  but 
I  would  rather  have  him  in  his  grave  than  have 
him  live  to  be  a  beer-drinker.  The  boys  of  the 
town  are  just  as  much  to  their  parents  as  our 
boys  were  to  us.  If  your  boy  had  lived, 
would  you  wish  to  see  him  a  patron  of  the 
saloon  ? " 

"  I — I— I  don't  know  just  how  I  should  feel 
if  my  boy  had  lived." 

"  You  know  you  would  not  wish  him  to  be  a 
drunkard." 

"  Anything  but  that,  Mr.  Brenner.  I  could 
not  bear  that.  I'm  not  a  teetotaler  myself.  A 
little  stimulant  does  me  good,  but  my  boy  might 
have  been  different.  I  should  want  him  to  be 
all  he  could  be,  and  I  can't  deny  but  what  tee- 


Dr.  Lash.  2 1 1 

totalers  are  on  the  safe  side.  I  should  want 
my  boy  to  stand  well  in  the  world." 

"  You  would  be  satisfied  to  have  him  stand 
as  well  as  Thad  Byam." 

"  I  could  not  expect  anything  better,  'though 
likely  it  would  have  been  in  a  different  way." 

"  Doubtless  it  would.  The  same  gifts  are 
not  for  all.  Did  you  hear  Thaddeus  Byam  talk 
in  the  temperance  meeting  ? " 

"  No,  Mr.  Brenner,  I  did  not.  No  one  can  re- 
gard drunkenness  with  greater  abhorrence  than 
I  do,  but  I  am  not  prepared  to  go  all  lengths, 
as  many  do,  in  condemning  the  moderate  use  of 
alcoholic  stimulants.  Used  with  discretion,  they 
give  tone  to  the  system  when  other  tonics  have 
failed.  Of  course,  excess  is  always  to  be  avoid- 
ed in  drinking  as  well  as  in  eating." 

"  It  would  be  useless  for  us  to  discuss  this 
question,  doctor.  We  have  learned  already  that 
neither  will  abandon  his  position.  But  I  have 
something  to  tell  you,  which  I  think  you  ought 
to  hear,  and  which  I  hope  will  influence  you  in 
the  future.  You  remember  young  Paul  Nye, 
who  spent  a  few  weeks  in  town  last  summer." 

"  I  do.  He  was  under  my  care  as  a  phy- 
sician, and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  knowing  that 
the  treatment  recommended  by  me  proved  bene- 
ficial. He  gained  so  much  in  strength  and 
weight,  he  hardly  seemed  like  the  same  person. 


212         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

His  was  one  of  the  cases  in  which  stimulants 
are  absolutely  required." 

"  It  may  seem  so  to  you,  doctor,  but  nothing 
could  have  been  more  unfortunate  for  the  young 
man.  Stimulants  may  have  given  him  for  the 
time  an  increase  of  strength,  but  had  you  known 
the  final  result  of  your  treatment,  you  would 
sooner  have  given  him  poison." 

"  Mr.  Brenner,  what  can  you  mean  ?  I  have 
not  heard  from  young  Nye  for  several  months, 
but  the  last  report  was  satisfactory." 

"  I  heard  from  him  two  weeks  ago,  and  he  is 
drinking  himself  to  death.  He  comes  of  a  fam- 
ily of  drunkards,  so  that  the  inherited  appetite 
needed  only  the  first  indulgence  to  rouse  it  to 
vigorous  life.  When  sober  the  young  man  be- 
wails his  fate,  blaming  his  mother  for  not  warn- 
ing him  of  his  danger,  and  blaming  you  for  the 
treatment  you  recommended.  At  the  same 
time  he  curses  himself  for  his  weakness,  while 
he  seems  to  have  no  power  to  control  his  ap- 
petite. He  will  not  live  long,  and  hard  as  it 
seems  to  say  such  a  thing  of  one  who  has  so 
much  to  bind  him  to  life,  it  is  not  desirable  that  he 
should.  He  is  engaged  to  be  married  to  a  most 
lovely  young  lady.  He  is  devotedly  attached 
to  her,  and  she  loves  him,  but  she  will  never 
be  his  wife." 

"  If  Nye  had  only  taken  what  I  ordered,  he 


Dr.  Lash.  213 

would  have  had  no  trouble.  If  he  drinks  to 
excess,  and  so  makes  himself  drunk,  I  am  not 
responsible.  His  system  needed  toning  up,  and 
he  ought  to  have  had  judgment  enough  to  stop 
when  he  had  taken  the  prescribed  quantity  of 
stimulant." 

"Appetite  overrides  judgment.  You  have 
lived  long  enough  to  know  that,  doctor.  It 
is  almost  certain  that  Paul  Nye  will  die  a 
drunkard.  I  am  very  sorry  for  him  and  his 
friends." 

"  I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Brenner,  but  I  don't  con- 
sider myself  responsible.  Any  man,  sick  or 
well,  should  use  moderation.  That  is  my  doc- 
trine, and  I  calculate  to  practice  as  I  preach." 

"  It  may  do  for  you ;  but,  for  the  sake  of 
others,  I  wish  you  could  be  induced  to  throw 
your  influence  on  the  side  of  teetotalism.  We 
need  your  help.  We  are  threatened  by  an  un- 
scrupulous enemy.  I  know  you  favored  the 
brewery,  but  it  cannot  be  possible,  doctor,  that 
you  approve  of  the  saloon  ? " 

"  Well,  Mr.  Brenner,  I  can't  say  that  I  ap- 
prove of  the  way  that  saloon  is  managed.  1 
don't  believe  in  trying  to  get  boys  into  a  place 
their  parents  want  to  keep  them  away  from." 

"  If  your  boy  and  mine  had  lived  we  should 
have  tried  to  keep  them  away  from  drinking- 
saloons." 


214         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  We  should,  Mr.  Brenner.  I  am  free  to  say 
that." 

"  You  must  believe  that  the  saloon  in  our 
town  is  run  in  Mr.  Stafford's  interest,  and  that 
whatever  is  done  to  draw  business  there  is  done 
with  his  approval,  if  not  at  his  suggestion." 

"  I  know  folks  say  so,  but  Mr.  Stafford  is  as 
much  opposed  to  the  immoderate  use  of  alco- 
holic drinks  as  we  are." 

"  Not  so  much  as  I  am,  doctor.  I  consider 
any  drinking  immoderate  and  injurious.  It  is 
impossible  to  estimate  the  injury  it  may  do. 
You  were  called  in  to  see  Mrs.  Sprague's  daugh- 
ter yesterday  ? " 

"  I  was,  and  found  her  in  a  very  low  state. 
I  am  afraid  she  has  not  had  such  nourishing 
food  as  she  needed.  I  prescribed  better  food, 
with  beer  as  a  tonic." 

"  Do  you  remember  you  once  said  it  was  a 
mercy  William  Sprague's  only  child  was  a  girl  ? 
You  said  if  he  had  left  a  son,  nothing  short 
of  a  miracle  would  have  saved  that  son  from 
being  a  drunkard." 

"  I  may  have  said  so,  although  I  have  no 
remembrance  of  it.  Bill  Sprague  was  a  hard 
drinker,  but  there  is  no  danger  for  Miranda. 
She  has  always  hated  liquor.  She  can  take  it 
as  a  medicine  whenever  her  system  requires  it." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  she  will  not  run  the 


Dr.  Lash.  215 

risk.  I  saw  Mrs.  Sprague  this  morning,  and 
not  a  drop  of  beer  will  be  allowed  in  her  house." 
"  It  may  be,  Mr.  Brenner,  that  is  the  best  way 
for  her.  There  are  exceptions  to  all  rules,  and 
we  have  known  each  other  too  long  to  quarrel 
for  matters  of  opinion.  I  am  glad  you  are  go- 
ing to  save  your  place,  and  I  must  say  that 
your  daughter  has  shown  herself  a  most  re- 
markable girl — a  most  remarkable  girl." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

STARVING. 

"  IT'S  glad  I  am  that  ye're  to  the  fore  this 
mornin',  Miss  Hilliard,"  said  a  smiling  Irish 
woman,  as  she  opened  the  door  of  a  small  room 
in  the  shed,  which,  for  want  of  a  better  place, 
had  been  fitted  up  as  an  office.  "  I  was  wishin' 
ye'd  be  the  one  I'd  find.  There's  nothin'  but 
yere  father's  all  right.  But  I'm  tradin'  for  the 
whole  house,  barrin'  two,  and  I'm  wantin'  the 
money  to  go  as  far  as  iver  it  can." 

"  If  you  are  trading  for  the  whole  house  you 
must  have  a  large  sum  of  money,  Mrs.  Conni- 
hee,"  replied  Grace  Hilliard. 

"  It's  mistaken  ye  are  there,  Miss.  It's  but 
little  I  have  gathered  in  pennies  and  nickels. 
We're  that  poor  we  could  do  no  more,  but 
there's  them  that's  poorer.  An'  old  man  and  a 
young  girl  come  to  live  on  the  upper  floor  last 
month,  and  nobody  knowing  what  they  have 
for  eating  or  firing.  It's  me  belief  they're  near 
starviu'." 

"  Starving  ? " 
(216) 


Starving.  217 

"  Starvin'  and  freezin'  both." 

'•  That  is  dreadful,  Mrs.  Connihee." 

"  Yes,  Miss ;  dreadful  things  happen  every 
day.  I  went  through  the  house  and  this  is 
what  I  gathered.  I've  a  lad  waitin'  outside 
with  an  ould  sled,  and  when  ye'll  be  plazed  to 
measure  up  what  ye'll  give  for  the  money,  he'll 
be  takin'  it  along." 

Grace  Hilliard  listened  to  further  surmises  in 
regard  to  the  old  man  and  his  daughter,  whose 
isolation  and  evident  poverty  had  called  forth 
the  sympathy  of  their  humble  neighbors.  Mrs. 
Connihee  assisted  in  packing  the  wood ;  at  last 
declaring  that  she  had  more  than  could  be  af- 
forded for  the  amount  she  had  paid. 

"  You  see  I  saved  a  bit  for  bread  and  mate 
and  a  measure  of  milk,"  she  said  as  she  was 
about  to  leave.  "  I  wint  to  the  market  on  the 
corner,  where  there's  a  woman,  and  whin  I  tould 
her  how  it  was  she  threw  in  a  bit. 

"  Now  ivery  cint  has  gone,  but  the  hardest  for 
me  is  to  come.  I've  to  carry  the  wood  and  the 
basket,  niver  knowin'  if  they'll  be  angry  or 
plazed.  They're  not  our  kind  at  all.  They're 
Yankees,  and  niver  another  in  the  house." 

"  I  shall  wish  to  hear  more  of  them,"  respond- 
ed Grace  Hilliard. 

"  So  you  shall,  Miss.  I'll  be  tellin'  ye  as  fast 
as  I  know." 


218          Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

Until  then  Mrs.  Connihee  had  hardly  thought 
of  the  awkward  position  in  which  she  might 
find  herself  in  delivering  the  articles  the  pur- 
chase of  which  had  given  her  so  much  pleasure. 
She  could  afford  little  time  for  consideration, 
and  as  she  afterward  said  she  made  up  her  mind 
to  go  right  along,  "  without  batin'  the  bush  or 
askin'  lave." 

She  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  upper  room, 
when  it  was  opened  by  a  man,  whose  gaunt 
figure  and  hagsrard  face  betrayed  the  privations 
from  which  he  had  suffered. 

"  I'm  one  of  yer  neighbors,  and  I've  brought 
ye  some  things  I'm  hopin'  ye'll  be  willin1  to  take." 

Saying  this,  she  proffered  the  basket,  which 
was  eagerly  snatched  with  a  murmured  "Thank 
God.  He  must  have  sent  you." 

"  And  I'm  thinkin'  He  did  that  same,"  replied 
the  woman.  "  And  here  is  wood  for  firin'," 
she  added,  as  the  boy  came  up  the  stairs  with 
his  arms  full. 

"Thank  God,"  again  exclaimed  the  man. 
"  Child,  child,  here  is  food  and  fuel.  We  shall 
not  starve  or  freeze.  Oh,  my  child,  hear  me, 
hear  me." 

In  a  corner  of  the  room,  upon  a  sack  filled 
with  straw,  lay  the  form  of  one  addressed  as 
"  child,"  but  there  was  no  response  to  this  ap- 
peal. 


Starving.  2 1 9 

Mrs.  Connihee  sprang  in,  knelt  by  the  wretch- 
ed bed,  and  seizing  the  hands  which  chilled  her 
as  the  hands  of  the  dead,  she  cried : 

.  "  May  God  forgive  me  if  I  have  come  too 
late." 

A  moment  after,  as  she  pressed  the  cold 
hands  to  her  breast,  there  was  a  slight  move- 
ment of  the  prostrate  figure,  showing  that  life 
was  not  extinct. 

"  Save  her.  Save  her,"  moaned  the  father, 
tottering  across  the  room,  which  was  bare  of 
furniture,  except  a  small  rusty  stove,  a  rickety 
table,  two  chairs,  and  some  battered  tin  dishes, 
which  might  have  been  rescued  from  a  dust- 
heap. 

"  Go  for  something  hot,"  said  the  woman,  and 
the  boy  who  had  waited  hurried  away,  to  re- 
turn almost  immediately  with  a  bowl  of  coffee 
and  a  spoon. 

Without  further  orders,  he  proceeded  to  light 
the  fire,  then  he  took  a  loaf  of  bread  from  the 
basket,  and  breaking  a  piece,  gave  it  to  the 
man,  who  seemed  oblivious  of  all  personal 
needs,  and  whose  only  anxiety  was  for  his 
daughter. 

"  She's  near  dead,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Connihee. 

"  I  know  it,"  said  the  father.  "  I've  watched 
her,  and  wanted  to  find  some  work,  so  she  could 
be  comfortable,  but  she  kept  me  with  her." 


220         Old  Benches  with  New  Pr.ops. 

At  sound  of  ber  father's  voice,  the  girl — for 
she  was  only  a  girl,  despite  the  look  of  age  upon 
her  face — opened  her  eyes  and  made  an  effort 
to  speak,  but  no  sound  caine  from  her  lips.  Yet 
her  father  answered : 

"  I  will  not  go.  I  promised  you.  We  may 
die  together,  but  I  will  not  leave  you." 

By  this  time  the  house  was  aroused.  A  kind- 
hearted  woman  came  in  bringing  a  bowl  of  hot 
soup,  which  she  urged  the  man  to  drink. 

"  My  daughter  first,"  he  replied.  "  Nothing 
for  me  until  she  has  eaten." 

"  I've  a  dhrap  o'  whiskey  ordered  for  me 
mither  whin  she  was  that  wake  she  naded  it. 
Wall  I  fetch  it  I" 

"No!     No!     No!" 

These  words,  uttered  by  the  daughter,  were 
distinctly  heard,  and  the  next  instant  her  father 
fell  senseless  to  the  floor. 

Then  all  was  confusion ;  but  at  length  Mrs. 
Connihee  succeeded  in  making  the  room  com- 
fortable, and  ad  ministering  such  nourishment  as 
could  be  safely  taken  by  persons  so  near  starva- 
tion. 

She  remained  with  them  for  several  hours, 
although  she  could  illy  afford  to  lose  so  much 
from  her  working  day ;  and  in  that  time  she  be- 
came convinced  that  the  innocent  was  suffering 
with  the  guilty  the  penalty  of  wrong  doing. 


Starving.  2  2 1 

She  judged  rightly  that  the  girl  dared  not  trust 
her  father  away  from  her,  lest  he  should  yield 
to  his  craving  for  strong  drink. 

All  this  was  told  Grace  Hilliard  that  even- 
ing, who  was  so  much  interested  that  she  im- 
proved an  early  opportunity  to  call  upon  these 
strangers;  ostensibly  looking  for  some  one  who 
would  do  plain  sewing  for  a  reasonable  compen- 
sation. One  call  succeeded  another,  until  she 
had  learned  so  much  of  the  history  of  this  father 
and  daughter,  that  her  warmest  sympathies  were 
enlisted  in  their  behalf. 

She  found  work  for  them,  counselled,  en- 
couraged, and  helped  them ;  and  in  the  spring 
had  the  happiness  of  knowing  that  their  for- 
tunes had  been  greatly  improved  by  her  efforts. 

"I  am  so  thankful  I  can  do  something  for 
others,"  she  said  to  her  sister,  who  was  less  in- 
clined to  outside  benevolent  work.  "Think 
how  we  have  needed  help,  and  how  good  every- 
body has  been  to  us.  When  I  think  it  all  over, 
I  feel  like  getting  down  on  my  knees  and  thank- 
ing God  for  all  His  mercies. 

"  We  are  so  much  better  off  than  when  we 
came  to  this  house.  George  is  coming  home, 
and  I  can  earn  money,  and  father  is  doing  so 
well,  and — and — why,  Mollie,  we  never  can  be 
half  thankful  enough  for  all  the  good  that  has 
come  to  us.  If  I  could  prevent  it,  no  one  should 


222         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

ever  be  cold  or  hungry.  I  know  how  dreadful 
it  is." 

"  Don't  speak  of  it,  Grace.  I  wish  I  could 
forget  it  all.  I  am  as  thankful  as  you  are,  but 
I  can't  feel  about  it  just  as  you  do. 

"  You  are  stronger  and  braver  than  I  am.  I 
never  could  do  as  you  have  done ;  not  even  to 
save  the  family.  You  have  saved  us  all,  George 
with  the  rest.  I  don't  wonder  he  calls  you  his 
good  angel,  and  says  he  should  never  have  pulled 
through  but  for  you." 

"  Whatever  he  calls  me,  I  shall  be  delighted 
to  see  him.  I  am  sure  he  will  never  go  wrong 
again.  He  will  pay  Mr.  Brenner  a  little  on  the 
debt." 

"  But  the  debt  is  so  large  and  the  interest  so 
much." 

"Every  dollar  paid  makes  the  debt  smaller. 
That  is  the  best  way  to  think  of  it,  and  you, 
Mollie,  are  doing  your  part  every  day.  You 
make  everything  go  so  far,  it  seems  as  though 
everything  multiplied  in  your  hands.  You  are 
a  wonderful  manager." 

George  Hilliard  realized  how  much  he  owed 
to  this  sister,  who  shrank  from  no  labor  which 
could  in  any  way  benefit  those  she  loved  with 
a  self-sacrificing  affection  of  which  few  are  capa- 
ble. How  gladly  he  was  welcomed  home,  and 
how  delightful  home  seemed  to  him  !  He  won- 


Starving.  223 

dered  he  could  ever  have  turned  away  from  it 
to  seek  the  companionship  of  the  low  and  vile ; 
himself,  as  he  acknowledged,  vile  as  the  vilest. 

"  It  seams  to  me  I  must  have  been  insane  to 
do  as  I  did,  but  it  was  an  insanity  for  which  I 
am  responsible  both  to  God  and  man.  I  won- 
der I  did  not  die  of  exposure  and  hunger. 
The  veriest  beggar  in  the  street  is  surer  of 
needed  food  than  I  was." 

"  How  could  you  go  on  in  that  way  so  long  ?  " 
asked  Grace,  to  whom  her  brother  had  spoken 
thtis  frankly  of  the  experience  in  regard  to 
which  he  had  before  seemed  unwilling  to  allude. 

u  You  can  never  understand  how  I  could  do  it, 
little  sister.  Thank  God,  too,  that  you  never  can. 
One  must  sink  very  low  to  comprehend  how  a 
man  can  cut  loose  from  everything  which  makes 
life  desirable,  and  plunge  into  such  depths  of 
degradation  that  he  almost  forgets  his  human- 
ity. But  there  are  more  men  doing  that  very 
same  thing  than  the  uninitiated  would  think 
possible.  Many  of  them,  too,  have  been  brought 
up  in  homes  of  elegance  ;  and  too  many  of  them 
acquired  their  taste  for  liquor  in  those  homes." 
•  "  It  seems  sometimes  as  though  most  of  the 
real  misery  in  the  world  was  made  by  drinking 
liquor.  The  poor  women  who  have  come  here 
for  wood  have  told  me  some  pitiful  stories." 

"  But  after  all,  little  sister,  the  most  pitiful 


224         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

stories  are  never  told.  Some  are  sinned  against, 
and  some  are  sinning.  Poor  Ben  Aries !  I 
have  written  you  about  him  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Don't  you  think  his  father  did  wrong 
in  pushing  him  out  into  the  world,  instead  of 
trying  to  make  him  better  ? " 

"  Certainly  I  do,  and  I  am  more  sorry  for  the 
boy  on  that  account." 

The  brother  and  sister  talked  on.  Each  had 
much  to  tell  the  other.  At  length  Grace 
chanced  to  speak  of  Mr.  Pulsifer  and  his 
daughter  Annis. 

"  Mr.  Pulsifer ! "  exclaimed  her  brother. 
"  Tell  me  about  him.  He  ought  not  to  be  so 
poor.  Tell  me  about  him." 

George  Hilliard  asked  many  questions  in  re- 
gard to  this  man  and  his  daughter,  saying 
finally : 

"  There  was  a  Providence  in  your  finding 
them.  Mr.  Pulsifer  was  defrauded  of  a  thou- 
sand dollars  by  a  man  who,  I  think,  can  be  com- 
pelled to  return  it.  At  any  rate,  I  shall  do  my 
best  for  him." 

«  Clyde  Stafford  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  Clyde  Stafford,  the  brewer." 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

SIGHTING     A     WRONG. 

CLYDE  STAFFORD  read  the  letter,  and,  with  a 
muttered  oath,  threw  it  to  the  floor.  Soon, 
however,  he  took  it  again,  read  it  with  more 
deliberation  than  before,  and  then  laid  it  care- 
fully with  some  private  papers  in  a  drawer  of 
which  he  alone  had  the  key. 

Ill  at  ease,  he  read  the  letter  several  times 
during  the  day,  always  returning  it  to  the 
drawer.  At  last,  as  if  to  bind  himself  more 
strongly  by  the  promise,  he  said  aloud  : 

"  I  will  never  do  it,"  repeating  this  with 
marked  emphasis,  until  the  very  sound  of  his 
voice  gave  him  courage. 

He  left  his  office  and  went  out  into  the  street, 
where  he  joined  a  group  of  men  who  were  evi- 
dently discussing  some  topic  of  general  interest. 
Upon  his  approach  they  were  silent,  when  he 
accosted  them  with  the  remark : 

"  I  hope  I  am  not  intruding." 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  one.     "  We  were  just 

talking  of  the  new  move  made  by  Mr.  Brenner. 

(225) 


226         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

He  has  just  opened  a  wood  and  lumber  yard  in 
the  city,  and  put  it  in  charge  of  Mr.  Hilliard, 
who  was  his  heaviest  debtor.  I  presume  they 
have  made  a  private  bargain.  At  any  rate,  no- 
body knows  what  it  is." 

"  Mr.  Brenner  must  have  great  confidence  in 
human  nature,"  responded  Clyde  Stafford. 
"  Not  many  would  put  themselves  in  the 
power  of  a  man  who  had  once  defrauded  them ; 
and  this  man  of  all  others,  who  has  proved  him- 
self utterly  unworthy." 

"  Then  you  know  Mr.  Hilliard  ?  " 

"  I  have  known  of  him  for  years.  He  would 
probably  never  have  gone  down  as  he  did,  if  he 
had  not  done  so  much  for  his  son." 

"  I  have  heard  of  that,  but  they  say  the  son 
has  reformed,  and  bids  fair  to  be  a  first-rate 
business  man." 

"  Yes,  and  he  is  to  superintend  the  cutting  of 
lumber  on  the  Brenner  place,  and  anywhere  else 
where  he  can  buy  trees  that  suit  him,"  said  an- 
other. "  They  say  young  Hilliard  has  been 
pretty  low  down ;  but  now  he  has  reformed,  Mr. 
Brenner  is  ready  to  give  him  a  helping  hand, 
and  nobody  knows  better  how  to  do  it." 

Clyde  Stafford  stayed  to  hear  no  more.  He 
went  back  to  his  office  and  wrote  to  his  father, 
asking  for  a  loan  of  a  thousand  dollars.  Then 
he  sat  down  and  computed  the  interest  on  this 


Righting  a    Wrong.  227 

sum  for  the  length  of  time  it  was  claimed  he 
had  wrongfully  held  possession  of  it. 

Circumstances  were  against  him,  and  he  was 
forced  to  yield  to  the  will  of  one  whom  he  cor- 
dially hated. 

A  week  from  thatvtime  Mr.  Pulsifer  received 
from  the  hands  of  George  Hilliard  the  money, 
the  loss  of  which  had  brought  to  him.  and  his 
so  much  of  suffering. 

"  I  am  more  than  glad  to  bring  you  this," 
said  the  messenger.  "  I  was  not  guiltless  in  the 
affair,  and  I  have  always  hoped  the  time  would 
come  when  I  could  make  some  reparation.  I 
have  done  it  now  by  inducing  Stafford  to  repay 
you." 

"  I  owe  you  more  than  I  can  express,"  re- 
sponded the  old  man,  his  voice  trembling  with 
emotion,  and  his  eyes  filling  with  tears.  "  You 
have  given  me  back  what  it  was  a  crime  for  me 
to  lose.  I  must  have  been  insane  to  do  as  I  did. 

"  The  wine  I  drank  made  me  perfectly  reck- 
less. I  remember  throwing  down  my  pocket- 
book  containing  every  dollar  I  had  in  the  world ; 
but  when  I  try  to  recall  what  transpired  im- 
mediately after  that,  everything  is  confused.  I 
am  not  sure  where  my  daughter  found  me.  I 
don't  know  how  we  lived  until  a  kind-hearted 
Irish  woman  came  to  us  in  the  garret  where  we 
were  starving. 


228         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  Ann  is  cared  only  to  be  hidden  away  where 
she  could  die  in  peace,  and  I  was  ready  to  die 
with  her.  Not  that  I  was  fit  to  die,  but  I  felt 
that  nothing  could  be  worse  than  what  we  had 
endured.  This  place,  your  sister  found  for  us, 
seemed  like  a  palace  when  we  came  here  ;  and 
together  we  have  managed  to  earn  enough  to 
pay  the  rent  and  provide  ourselves  with  com- 
fortable food.  Now  you  have  made  us  rich, 
and  may  God  bless  you." 

"  May  God  bless  you." 

The  very  words  Ben  Aries  had  so  often  mur- 
mured in  the  ears  of  his  friend,  making  the 
heart  of  this  friend  to  rejoice,  that,  notwith- 
standing all  he  had  sinned  and  suffered,  it  was 
yet  possible  for  him  to  bring  happiness  to  others. 
He  was  ready  to  respond  to  any  call  where  he 
could  be  of  service,  thankful  for  the  opportunity 
thus  to  express  his  repentance  for  past  selfish- 
ness. 

He  had  not  been  long  at  home  when  one  of 
the  wealthiest  women  in  the  city  called  upon 
him  at  his  father's,  and  who,  as  he  entered  the 
room  where  she  awaited  him,  said  hurriedly : 

"  I  have  come  to  ask  if  }  ou  kuo\v  anything  of 
my  son.  Have  you  seen  him  within  two  years  ?  " 

"  I  saw  him  about  a  year  ago,"  replied  George 
Billiard. 

"  Excuse  my  abruptness,"  now  said  Mrs.  Lit- 


Righting  a    Wrong.  229 

ton.  "  When  I  saw  you  I  thought  only  of  rny 
son.  Ever  since  I  knew  you  were  in  the  city  I 
have  felt  that  you  could  tell  me  something  about 
him.  Was  he " 

She  could  not  say  more,  but  he  to  whom  this 
incomplete  question  was  addressed  knew  what 
she  would  have  asked,  and  answered  accordingly. 

"  When  I  saw  your  son  last  he  told  me  he 
was  fully  resolved  to  change  his  course  of  life. 
He  solemnly  pledged  himself  never  to  play  an- 
other game  of  chance  or  taste  a  drop  of  any  al- 
coholic drink,  and  I  believed  that  he  would  re- 
deem his  pledge." 

"  Do  you  know  if  he  has  kept  it  until  now  ? " 

"  I  feel  sure  that  he  has." 

"  Do  you  know  where  he  is  ? " 

"  As  I  have  not  heard  from  him  since,  I  can- 
not be  positive,  but  I  think  I  could  find  him." 

"  Oh,  if  I  could  only  see  him !  My  poor, 
misguided  boy.  I  was  so  proud  of  him.  I 
never  thought  I  should  live  to  see  the  day  when 
I  should  wish  I  had  no  son." 

"  Do  not  wish  so  now,  Mrs.  Litton.  I  believe 
you  will  live  to  see  the  day  when  you  will  be 
thankful  for  your  son." 

"  If  I  only  could,  I  should  be  the,  happiest 
woman  in  the  world,"  exclaimed  the  half-dis- 
tracted mother.  "  I  wouldn't  mind  being  poor 
as  the  poorest.  I  would  give  all  I  am  worth  to 


230         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

be  sure  my  son  would  return  to  me  what  he 
should  be.  His  father  never  mentions  his  name, 
but  he  is  not  forgotten. 

"  I  think  of  him  sometimes  as  wandering  from 
place  to  place,  cold  and  hungry,  and  perhaps 
half  starved.  I  think  he  may  be  suffering  for 
the  very  necessaries  of  life,  while  we  are  living 
in  luxury,  although  it  does  not  seem  possible 
that  a  boy  brought  up  as  he  was  could  ever  go 
down  so  low." 

"  I  have  sometimes  thought,  Mrs.  Litton,  that 
such  boys  are  more  likely  to  go  down  into  the 
depths  when  they  have  once  cast  off  restraint. 
There  are  many  tramping  the  country,  or  skulk- 
ing in  garrets  and  cellars,  who  were  brought  up 
in  elegant  homes  and  accustomed  to  every  lux- 
ury. The  very  fact  that  they  have  thrown  away 
so  much  makes  them  the  more  desperate." 

"  It  may  be  so.  Oh,  my  poor  boy !  My  poor 
boy  !  If  I  could  see  him  once  more,  if  only  for 
an  hour ! " 

Here  the  unhappy  woman  began  to  weep, 
and  for  a  time  was  unable  to  control  her  emo- 
tions. 

"  I  have  troubled  you,"  she  sobbed  at  length. 
"  You  cannot  know  a  mother's  heart.  Her  child 
is  dearer  than  her  life.  Will  you  find  my  son 
for  me?  Here  is  money,"  she  added,  taking 
from  her  reticule  a  well-filled  pocket-book.  "  It 


Righting  a   Wrong.  231 

is  money  I  have  saved  for  him ;  only  a  small 
part  of  it,  but  enough  to  pay  your  travelling  ex- 
penses if  he  is  in  the  country.  If  not,  come  to 
me  for  more. 

"  Find  him,  and  tell  him  I  can  forgive  every- 
thing if  he  will  only  come  back  to  me.  If  he 
must  be  a  drunkard  let  him  drink  at  home, 
where  I  can  make  him  comfortable.  I  would 
rather  carry  liquor  to  him  with  my  own  hands, 
than  have  him  a  wanderer  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  Anything,  if  he  will  only  come  back  to 


me." 


How  could  George  Hilliard  tell  this  mother 
that,  if  living,  her  son  was  looking  through 
prison-bars,  hundreds  of  miles  away ;  that  he 
had  been  sentenced  under  an  assumed  name, 
and,  as  he  himself  said,  Charles  Litton  had  left 
the  world  !  Of  the  crime  of  which  he  had  been 
adjudged  guilty  he  declared  himself  innocent ; 
and  looking  back  now  with  clear  vision,  his  old 
comrade  believed  that  he  had  spoken  truly. 

The  interview  with  Mrs.  Litton  was  pro- 
longed until  she  had  persuaded  her  companion 
to  go  in  search  of  the  son  she  so  longed  to  see. 
He  could  but  yield  to  her  entreaties ;  hoping 
that  in  some  way  Providence  would  aid  him. 
He  prepared  for  the  journey  without  delay, 
guarding  another's  secret,  as  he  told  his  family  it 
was  necessary  he  should  leave  them  for  a  few  days. 


232         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

He  knew  the  old  haunts  well,  but  no  one  of 
all  he  met  would  recognize  in  him  the  wretched 
tramp  whose  very  presence  they  had  scorned 
two  years  before.  Even  when  admitted  to  the 
prison  in  which  Charles  Litton  was  confined,  he 
was  obliged  to  prove  his  identity  by  reference 
to  some  past  experiences  known  only  to  the 
prisoner  and  himself. 

The  two  conversed  together  until  notified 
that  the  time  allowed  for  visitors  had  expired ; 
but  short  as  the  interview  seemed,  Charles  Lit- 
ton had  given  his  friend  a  clue  to  the  perpe- 
trator of  the  crime  of  which  he  had  been  un- 
justly accused. 

"  I  am  sure  that  I  am  right,  and  if  the  fel- 
low can  be  found,  I  believe  you  can  force  a 
confession  from  him,"  he  said  as  they  parted 
after  many  expressions  of  gratitude  on  his  part. 

It  was  not  mere  chance  which  that  same 
day  prostrated  the  real  criminal  upon  the  bed 
from  which  he  was  never  more  to  rise  and 
which  moved  him  to  make  a  tardy  confession, 
exonerating  the  man  then  serving  time  for  the 
crime  he  had  himself  committed. 

The  prison  doors  were  opened  and  Charles 
Litton  was  again  in  the  world.  Then  home  to 
the  mother  whose  love  had  never  failed  him, 
and  who  welcomed  him  as  one  given  back  from 
the  dead. 


CHAPTEK  XXVI. 

THE   END. 

"  WE  are  coming  to  the  end,"  said  Jacob 
Hill  to  his  wife  one  day  in  early  autumn,  as 
she  met  him  at  the  door  on  his  return  from 
the  village.  "  Joel  is  dying." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  he  is  dying  ? "  she 
asked  in  a  constrained  voice. 

"  I  have  a  letter.  A  woman  wrote  it.  She 
says  Joel  is  dying  among  strangers,  without 
friends  or  money.  He  is  in  the  same  city  with 
Thad  Byam." 

"  Thad  would  help  him  if  he  knew  it." 

"  Yes ;  but  I  must  go  to  Joel.  I  want  to  see 
him.  It  is  ten  years  since  I  saw  him  last.  He 
has  been  a  burden  and  a  trial,  but  thinking  of 
him  as  dying  makes  me  forget  all  that.  We 
have  worked  hard  to  pay  his  debts,  honest  and 
dishonest,  and  now  we  are  coming  to  the  end 
I  want  to  see  him. 

"  I  wish  he  was  here  with  us.  It  would 
make  me  happier  all  my  life  to  remember  that 
he  spent  his  last  days  in  my  home.  I  tried 
to  do  the  right  thing  for  him  when  he  was  a 

(233) 


234         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

boy,  but  I  am  afraid  I  made  mistakes.  If  his 
mother  had  lived  he  might  have  been  different." 
"  You  have  done  your  whole  duty  by  him, 
Jacob.  I  am  sure  of  that ;  and  now,  if  he  can 
be  brought  here,  I  will  give  him  a  sister's  wel- 


come." 


"  Dear,  good  wife,  I  don't  know  as  I  ought 
to  expect  that  of  you.  You  have  sacrificed  a 
great  deal  for  him  ;  more  than  I  had  a  right  to 
ask  of  you ;  and  now  there  will  be  expenses 
somebody  must  pay." 

"We  will  pay  them.  Don't  let  him  die  a 
pauper.  We  have  a  home,  and  we  are  not  so 
old  but  W7hat  we  can  work." 

"  Yes,  Prudence,  the  Lord  has  been  good  to 
us,  notwithstanding  the  hard  places  in  our 
lives.  I  can  never  feel  like  complaining,  with 
such  a  wife  as  I  have  had.  I  can  take  the 
afternoon  train  if  I  go  at  once." 

Mrs.  Hill  hastened  her  husband's  departure, 
and  was  looking  forward  to  some  lonely  hours, 
when  Tamson  Brenner  appeared,  sure  of  the 
welcome  always  awaiting  her. 

"  I  was  in  such  haste  to  reach  here  I  could  not 
take  the  time  to  enjoy  my  walk,"  said  the  visitor. 
"  I  wished  to  see  you  and  Cousin  Jacob.  Noth- 
ing is  wrong,"  she  added,  replying  to  the  look 
of  inquiry  with  which  her  announcement  had 
been  received. 


The  End.  235 

"  I  don't  know  how  matters  could  be  going 
any  better  for  us,  but  I  am  thinking  of  our 
young  people.  It  sometimes  seems  as  though 
those  who  are  against  us  are  more  than  those 
who  are  for  us.  I  believe  I  am  growing  dis- 
couraged." 

"  What  has  happened  to  discourage  you  ? " 
asked  Cousin  Prudence. 

"  Only  what  is  happening  every  day ;  except 
that  the  saloon  is  more  aggressive." 

"  I  have  heard  that  your  young  ladies'  union 
is  becoming  more  aggressive,  and  that  you  have 
a  good  many  honorary  members  among  the 
young  men  and  boys." 

"  We  have,  and  we  are  hoping  for  more ; 
but  father  says  alcohol  is  in  the  ascendant 
despite  all  we  have  done." 

"  I  am  sorry.  What  a  terrible  thing  it  is 
for  a  man  to  ruin  himself,  soul  and  body  ;  and 
it  seems  to  me  even  worse  for  men  to  make  and 
sell  what  brings  such  misery  into  the  world  ! " 

"  Such  men  don't  care  for  the  misery  in  the 
world.  They  think  only  of  the  profits  of  their 
business." 

u  Clyde  Stafford  calculates  to  be  a  wealthy 
man,  and  I  suppose  the  chances  are  in  his 
favor." 

"  Certainly  they  are,  Cousin  Prudence.  His 
beer  has  already  gained  a  reputation  which 


236         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

ensures  the  sale  of  every  gallon  he  can  put  on 
the  market." 

"  They  say  he  pays  a  fair  price  for  barley, 
and  always  has  the  money  ready  for  everybody 
who  sells  to  him.  I  suppose  that  is  a  help  to 
the  farmers,  and  he  urges  them  to  raise  all  the 
barley  they  can.  Then  he  wants  them  to  try 
his  beer." 

"  That  is  what  I  have  heard,  but  father  says 
there  are  men  ready  to  sell  him  barley  and 
lumber  who  despise  him  and  his  business. 
They  wouldn't  drink  his  beer  any  more  than 
they  would  drink  poison. 

"  Cousin  Prudence,  something  is  troubling 
you  this  morning,  and  I  have  been  so  absorbed 
in  my  own  perplexities,  that  I  did  not  read  the 
trouble  in  your  face  until  this  minute,"  now 
exclaimed  Tamson  Brenner ;  asking  in  the  same 
breath,  "  Can  I  help  you  ? " 

"  It  will  help  me  just  to  tell  you  about  it," 
was  replied,  and  for  the  next  half  hour  the 
visitor  listened  to  a  story,  the  like  of  which 
has  been  often  told,  yet  now  seemed  strangely 
new. 

"  And  that  is  why- 

"  That  is  why,  with  all  we  have  earned  and 
saved,  we  are  still  poor,"  said  Prudence  Hill, 
interrupting  her  companion.  "  As  we  had  no 
children,  we  thought  it  was  right  to  do  what 


The  End,  237 

we  could  for  Joel ;  even  if  there  was  danger 
that  we  should  suffer  for  it  in  our  old  age.  I 
never  begrudged  the  money  spent  for  him,  but 
I  have  begrudged  the  worry  Jacob  has  had 
about  him.  Since  we  came  here  we  have  known 
less  of  Joel,  but  I  was  sure  the  time  would  come 
when  there  would  be  a  call  for  more  help. 

"  Your  father  has  known  something  about  it. 
Joel  is  not  your  father's  cousin.  Jacob's  mo- 
ther was  a  Brenner,  but  Joel  is  the  son  of  a 
second  wife." 

«  Only  a  half  brother." 

"  That  makes  no  difference  with  Jacob.  He 
loves  him  all  the  more  because  he  is  so  much 
younger.  Joel  was  a  handsome  boy,  with  such 
winning  ways,  it  was  hard  to  refuse  him  any- 
thing." 

"  Why  did  he  go  wrong,  Cousin  Prudence? " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  have  asked  that  question 
over  and  over  again,  but  I  never  could  get  an 
answer  that  satisfied  me.  He  was  a  favorite 
wherever  he  went,  and  likely  he  found  company 
that  led  him  astray.  Jacob  looked  after  him,  but 
he  had  a  way  of  making  excuses  and  smoothing 
things  over,  so  it  was  hard  work  to  talk  to  him." 

"  Was  it  better  to  keep  paying  out  money  for 
him  ? " 

"  I  don't  know  that,  Tamson.  So  far  as  we 
know,  we  kept  him  from  being  shut  up  as  a 


238         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

common  drunkard,  and  we  kept  him  from  mak- 
ing a  good  woman  wretched  by  marrying  her. 
It  would  have  killed  Jacob  to  think  of  him  in 
prison.  Now  he  is  dying,  and  there  is  not  much 
more  we  can  do  for  him. 

"  But  let  us  not  talk  of  him  longer.  I  heard 
that  Black  was  in  trouble  about  his  boys  and 
had  threatened  to  prosecute  the  saloon-keeper 
for  selling  them  beer  and  tobacco." 

"  I  think  that  is  true,  but  I  fear  his  boys  have 
gone  too  far  for  him  to  call  them  back.  It  was 
a  long  time  before  he  would  believe  they  were 
in  any  danger.  Now  they  seem  perfectly  reck- 
less." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  their  mother,  but  their  father 
deserves  to  be  punished." 

"  He  is  punished  every  day,  Cousin  Prudence. 
If  it  was  possible  for  him  to  sweep  the  brewery 
with  its  shops  and  houses  out  of  town,  he  would 
do  so.  He  came  to  me  last  week  and  asked  me 
to  use  my  influence  to  induce  his  boys  to  attend 
our  temperance  meetings  and  sign  our  pledge. 
I  told  him  I  had  asked  them  several  times  to 
attend  our  meetings  and  they  had  always  de 
clined,  but  I  would  ask  them  again  the  first 
opportunity." 

"  They  are  bright  boys." 

"  Too  bright  to  be  sacrificed  to  the  greed  for 
gain.  Father  says  that  so  far  as  dollars  and 


The  End.  239 

cents  are  concerned,  the  manufacture  and  sale 
of  alcoholic  drinks  is  the  most  profitable  busi- 
ness in  the  country." 

"  Yes,  and  men  will  sell  their  own  souls  and 
the  souls  of  their  neighbors  for  money.  But  let 
us  talk  of  something  pleasant.  Tell  me  about 
the  bees  and  the  fruit." 

"The  bees  have  done  Avonderfully  well,  and 
every  pound  of  honey  we  could  spare  has  been 
sold  for  a  good  price.  As  for  the  fruit,  father 
says  this  is  the  best  year  we  have  ever  had. 
Mother  keeps  account  of  every  dollar  we  receive 
and  every  dollar  we  spend,  and  I  never  saw  her  so 
happy  as  she  is  now.  She  has  developed  a  real 
talent  for  business.  She  has  a  genius  for  dress- 
making and  millinery  ;  as  witness  our  dresses 
and  bonnets.  We  shall  save  the  Brenner  place." 

"  I  always  knew  you  would  if  you  set  about 
it  with  a  will.  Jacob  says  the  timber  will  prove 
a  fortune  to  you,  and  George  Hilliard  will  make 
the  most  of  it." 

"I  think  he  will.  I  am  sorry  to  see  the  old 
trees  laid  low,  but  they  must  do  their  part  to- 
ward clearing  the  land  of  incumbrance." 

This  subject  having  been  introduced,  hostess 
and  guest  were  soon  absorbed  in  discussing 
questions  of  domestic  economy,  which  occupied 
their  time  until  Tamson  Brenner  was  ready  for 
her  walk  home. 


240         Old  Benches  with  Neiv  Props. 

"  Tell  your  father  about  Joel,"  then  said  Mrs. 
Hill.  "  I  shall  expect  Jacob  to-morrow,  and  I 
feel  sure  he  will  bring  Joel  with  him." 

In  this  she  was  not  disappointed.  Just  at 
night  came  the  two  brothers;  so  unlike,  and 
yet  so  strongly  bound  to  each  other.  Perhaps 
then,  as  never  before,  the  younger  realized  what 
a  grief  and  burden  he  had  been  to  those  who 
loved  him. 

Yet  he  was  kindly  welcomed  and  assisted  to 
the  room  which  had  been  made  ready  for  him. 
He  essayed  to  speak  his  thanks,  but  was  pre- 
vented by  a  paroxysm  of  coughing  which  quite 
exhausted  him.  He  lay  upon  the  bed,  panting 
for  breath,  while  the  tears  slowly  coursed  down 
his  sunken  cheeks. 

"Only  to  die,"  he  whispered  hoarsely  after  a 
short  rest.  "  Only  to  die.  I  did  not  mean  to 
trouble  you  any  more,  but  I  wanted  to  see 
Jacob,  ray  dear,  good  brother,  and  his  wife." 

A  night's  sleep,  such  as  he  had  not  known 
for  many  weeks,  so  far  revived  him  that  in  the 
morning  he  was  able  to  go  into  the  kitchen.  In 
the  afternoon  he  stepped  outside  the  house,  and 
resting  in  an  easy-chair,  gazed  long  upon  the 
mountains  and  valleys  stretching  far  away  on 
every  side. 

This  look  was  his  last.  He  died  that  night ; 
died  suddenly,  without  warning. 


The  End.  241 

He  was  buried  in  the  village  cemetery;  a 
stranger,  whose  history  none  knew  save  those 
who  were  bound  to  him  by  the  ties  of  kindred. 

His  life  and  death  were  an  eloquent  sermon 
against  the  sin  of  alcoholic  drinking;  but  alas 
for  the  frequency  of  such  sermons,  so  seldom 
heeded ! 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

AT    COLD    SPKING. 

u  TROUBLE  at  Cold  Spring." 

Mr.  Anslow  could  learn  nothing  more  from 
the  boy  who,  having  uttered  these  words,  fell 
exhausted  to  the  ground.  Walking  on  as  rapid- 
ly as  possible,  he  soon  came  to  the  spring,  where 
four  terror-stricken  lads  stood  looking  at  one 
who  lay  as  if  dead,  his  head  resting  upon  a  stone 
which  was  stained  with  blood. 

"  What  have  you  done  ? "  he  asked ;  and  as  no 
reply  was  made,  he  repeated  the  question  more 
sternly :  "  What  have  you  done  ?  " 

V  We  didn't  mean  to  hurt  him,"  said  one  after 
some  delay. 

"What  have  you  done?  Tell  me  that.  Have 
you  killed  this  boy  ? " 

"  We  didn't  mean  to  hurt  him.  We  only 
wanted  him  to  drink  some  beer,  and — and  when 
he  wouldn't  we  tried  to  pour  some  down  his 
throat,  and — and — he  fought  us.  That  is  the 
way  he  got  hurt." 

"  Brave  beer-drinkers  !  Where  did  you  get 
(242) 


At  Cold  Spring.  243 

your  beer?  Tell  me  the  truth,  or  it  will  be 
worse  for  you." 

"  We  got  it  at  the  saloon.  Mr.  Scully  said  it 
wouldn't  hurt  a  baby." 

"  This  is  Harry  Webster,  who  has  come  to  live 
with  Mr.  Jackman,  isn't  it  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Where  is  his  brother  ?  They  are  usually 
together." 

"  They  were,  but  Carl  ran  away  and  said  he 
was  going  home  to  tell  of  us." 

"  So,  to  be  sure  of  your  revenge,  you  killed 
Harry?" 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Anslow,  we  didn't  mean  to  hurt 
him.  We  only  wanted  some  fun." 

"  You  may  find  it  serious  fun.  There  is  a  law 
against  such  brutality  ;  and  such  a  little  fellow, 
too.  Shame  on  you.  You  deserve  to  be  severe- 
ly punished." 

Meanwhile  Mr.  Anslow  had  raised  the  pros- 
trate boy,  and  was  bathing  his  face,  when,  with 
a  gasp  and  struggle,  he  regained  consciousness. 

"  My  head  !  My  head  !  I  wouldn't  drink 
the  beer.  I  wouldn't.  I  promised  mother,  and 
so  did  Carl.  I  told  Carl  to  run,  and  he  did." 

The  murmur  ceased.     The  boy  had  fainted. 

The  four  who  were  responsible  for  all  this 
would  gladly  have  left,  but  they  were  com- 
manded to  remain  and  dared  not  disobey.  They 


244          OM  Benches  with  New  Props. 

watched  Mr.  Anslow  as  lie  cleansed  the  wound 
from  which  blood  continued  to  flow,  and  as  he 
bound  it  with  his  handkerchief,  one  found  cour- 
age to  ask : 

"What  will  be  done  with  us?" 

"That  will  depend  upon  circumstances," 
was  replied.  "  You  have  made  yourself  liable 
to  the  law  on  two  counts.  You  committed 
trespass  in  coming  here.  This  is  my  land,  and 
I  could  prosecute  you  for  trespass." 

"  But— but  other  folks  come.  Oh,  Mr.  Ans- 
low, don't  prosecute  us." 

"  I  suppose  you  threw  that  beer-bottle  into 
the  spring.  Take  it  out  and  carry  it  away  from 
here." 

"  Yes,  we  will.  Don't  prosecute  us.  We 
won't  ever  come  here  again,  and  we  won't  ever 
try  to  make  anybody  drink  beer  who  don't  want 
to.  I  wish  we  hadn't  this  time." 

"  You  are  John  Black,  are  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  And  you  are  Henry  Black  ? " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Did  your  father  know  you  were  coming 
here  to-day  ? " 

"  No,  sir.  He'll  be  awful  mad  if  he  finds  out 
about  it." 

"  How  do  you  think  Mr.  Jackman  will  feel 
when  he  finds  out  about  it  ?  Now,  I  am  going 


At  Cold  Spring.  245 

to  take  this  boy  to  my  home,  and  you  will  go 
there  too.  You  will  keep  in  front  of  us." 

It  was  a  queer  procession  that  moved  along 
the  narrow  footpath  leading  to  the  main  road, 
where  they  found  the  boy  who  had  given  warn- 
ing of  trouble  at  the  spring. 

"  Carl  Webster  has  gone  home.  I  saw  him 
going  over  the  hill,"  said  this  boy. 

Mr.  An  slow  and  his  sister  were  quite  equal 
to  the  surgical  treatment  required  by  Harry 
Webster;  so  that,  except  for  weakness  and  a 
nervous  apprehension  of  danger,  he  was  little 
the  worse  for  his  struggle. 

"  Can't  we  go  ?  "  now  asked  John  Black,  who 
had  been  the  ringleader  in  the  disgraceful  af- 
fair, and  who  with  his  companions  waited  in 
the  hall,  not  daring  to  go  without  permis- 
sion. 

"  I  have  not  done  with  you  yet,"  was  replied 
to  his  question.  "  I  am  expecting  Mr.  Jackman. 
You  must  settle  with  him,  and  then  we  will 
talk  about  the  trespass  on  my  land." 

Another  half-hour  of  waiting,  and  then  John 
Black,  made  desperate  by  the  suspense,  cried 
out: 

"  For  mercy  sake,  tell  us  the  worst.  We'll 
promise  anything,  if  you'll  only  let  us  off. 
We'll  come  over  here  again  to-morrow.  We'll 
go  and  see  Mr.  Jackman.  We  never'll  do  any 


246         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

such  thing  again  as  long  as  we  live,  will  we, 
boys?" 

"  Never,"  responded  each  one  heartily. 

"  I  have  not  done  with  you  yet,"  was  again 
replied,  and  the  boys  were  obliged  to  curb 
their  impatience  still  longer. 

At  length  Mr.  Jackman  appeared,  with  Carl 
in  the  carriage  beside  him. 

"  There'll  be  a  reckoning  for  this  day's  work," 
he  said  angrily,  as  soon  as  he  had  been  assured 
that  Harry  was  safe.  "  We'll  see  if  this  new- 
fashioned  drink  is  to  be  poured  down  children's 
throats,  whether  they  want  it  or  not.  Carl  says 
Black's  boys  were  in  the  scrape." 

Here  Mr.  Anslow  succeeded  in  silencing  the 
speaker,  while  he  talked  for  some  time  in  a 
low  tone. 

''  1  suppose  you  are  right,"  responded  the 
tavern-keeper  when  his  companion  paused  for 
him  to  speak.  "  I've  been  thinking  a  good 
deal  about  it  lately,  'specially  since  these  boys 
came  to  live  with  me.  Their  mother  is  my 
niece,  and  I  want  to  help  her  along  about  bring- 
ing them  up.  Their  father  didn't  leave  her 
much  property,  and  she  is  at  work  to  earn 
money,  so  to  give  them  an  education. 

"  She  is  as  thorough-going  temperance  woman 
as  Tamson  Brenner  is,  and  she  has  trained  her 
boys  to  think  as  she  does.  They'd  die  before 


At  Cold  Spring.  247 

they'd  break  the  promises  they  made.  I  made 
some  promises  too,  and  this  job  settles  the 
whole  matter.  I  never'll  drink  or  sell  another 
drop  of  liquor  stronger  than  tea  or  coffee  as 
long  as  I  live.  If  you  have  a  pledge  that 
covers  so  much  ground  just  bring  it  along,  and 
I  am  the  man  that  will  sign  it." 

There  was  another  consultation,  and  then  the 
four  boys  were  called  out ;  Harry  Webster  com- 
ing with  them,  still  weak  and  pale,  but  so  glad 
to  see  Uncle  Jackman,  that  for  the  moment  he 
forgot  what  he  had  suffered. 

o 

It  was  an  entirely  different  ending  to  the 
day's  fun  from  what  had  been  anticipated,  yet 
all  professed  themselves  satisfied  when  a  pledge 
of  total  abstinence  had  been  signed  by  the  en- 
tire company. 

"  Now  we  will  help  turn  over  a  new  leaf  in 
the  old  town,"  said  Mr.  Jackman.  "  Just  as 
long  as  you  keep  your  pledge  you  are  all 
right,  but  the  minute  you  break  it,  you  will 
hear  from  me  in  a  way  you  won't  like." 

"  We  have  made  fools  of  ourselves  and  every- 
body will  know  it,"  remarked  John  Black  as 
they  started  for  home.  "  It  was  awful  mean 
in  us  to  treat  Harry  Webster  as  we  did.  I 
never  was  so  scared  in  my  life  as  when  I  saw 
his  head  bleeding  and  he  was  so  still.  I 
thought  we  had  killed  him.  I  wanted  to  run, 


248         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

but  my  feet  felt  as  though  they  were  nailed  to 
the  ground." 

"  Didn't  Mr.  Anslow  just  put  us  through  ?  " 
asked  another  of  the  boys. 

"  He  did,  and  we  deserved  it,"  was  replied. 
"  Whew  !  didn't  he  spring  that  pledge  on  us  ? 
I've  declared  twenty  times  I  never  would  sign 
it,  and  now  we've  just  been  and  gone  and  done 
it.  We  shall  keep  it  too." 

"  Of  course  we  shall.  Won't  Scully  be 
mad,  and  won't  he  do  his  level  best  to  get  us 
back !  He  and  Stafford  want  everybody  to 
drink  lots  of  beer,  so  they  can  make  lots  of 
money.  I  have  seen  Scully  do  some  awful  mean 
things." 

"  So  have  I.  I  mean  to  keep  out  of  his  way 
till  we  get  well  settled  down,  and  then  I'll 
risk  him.  Everybody  will  be  talking  about 
us,  anyway." 

"  They  will  talk  about  Mr.  Jackman  too." 

The  boys  were  right  in  this  conclusion.  The 
affair  at  Cold  Spring,  with  its  results,  was 
generally  discussed.  The  boys  who  had  signed 
the  pledge  were  congratulated  by  some,  while 
by  others  they  were  ridiculed.  Scully  swore 
he  would  have  them  all  back,  but  one  effort 
in  that  direction  convinced  him  of  his  mistake. 
They  who  had  been  loudest  in  their  assertions 
of  independence  were  still  independent  in  do- 


At  Cold  Spring.  249 

ing  as  they  pleased,  and  they  pleased  to  keep 
their  pledge  inviolate. 

There  was  a  larger  attendance  than  usual  at  the 
next  temperance  meeting.  Mr.  Black  was  pres- 
ent with  his  four  boys,  so  thankful  and  happy 
that,  as  he  said,  he  felt  as  rich  as  if  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  earth  had  come  into  his  pos- 
session. "  I  don't  deserve  such  happiness,  but 
if  the  Lord  gives  me  health  and  strength  I 
will  try  and  make  some  return  for  it." 

Mr.  Jackman  brought  his  boys  to  the  meet- 
ing. George  Hilliard  was  there  with  Ben  Aries ; 
the  latter  greatly  improved  in  health  by  his 
summer's  experience,  and  now  working  under 
the  direction  of  his  friend.  He  was  gaining 
other  friends,  one  of  whom  was  Mr.  Brenner,  who 
was  often  among  the  men  engaged  in  felling 
trees,  where  he  always  received  a  welcome, 
which  he  returned  with  kind,  encouraging 
words. 

One  day,  while  sitting  under  the  lindens,  he 
was  approached  by  a  middle-aged  man,  poorly 
dressed,  who  asked  for  work. 

u  What  can  you  do  ? "  asked  Mr.  Brenner  in 
reply. 

"  I  would  try  to  do  anything  by  which  I  could 
earn  enough  to  keep  soul  and  body  together," 
answered  the  man.  "  Last  night  I  made  up 
my  mind  to  end  my  life,  and  so  get  out  of  the 


250         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

way,  but  I  couldn't  do  it.  I  thought  of  my 
mother  and  I  couldn't  do  it." 

"  Taking  one's  life  is  the  act  of  a  coward." 

"  I  know  it,  but  when  a  man  has  ruined  his 
life  it  makes  little  difference  what  else  he  does." 

"  The  ruin  can  be  retrieved.  It  is  never  too 
late  to  do  that." 

"  I  have  decided  to  try,  and  as  a  beginning 
I  am  looking  for  work.  I  may  as  well  tell  you 
that  1  am  a  drunkard." 

"  You  did  not  need  to  tell  me  that ;  but  you 
are  not  drunk  now." 

"  No,  sir ;  I  have  not  tasted  liquor  for  three 
months.  Nothing  has  passed  my  lips  for  two 
days  except  water,  and  some  turnips  and  apples 
I  found  by  the  roadside." 

"You  must  be  faint  for  the  want  of  food." 

"  I  suppose  I  am,  but  I  had  hardly  thought 
of  it.  I  am  thirsty  for  the  drink  that  has  ruined 
me,  and  which  I  will  never  taste  again.  May 
God  strike  me  dead  with  all  my  sins  upon  my 
soul,  if  I  ever  taste  of  alcohol  in  any  form." 

"  That  is  a  terrible  imprecation." 

"  It  is,  but  I  will  not  retract  it." 

Mr.  Brenner  looked  at  his  companion  for  a 
moment  and  then  said  : 

"  Sit  down  on  this  bench,  and  I  will  see  what 
can  be  done  for  you." 

Dolf  Turner  was  spending  a  day  in  the  woods, 


At  Cold  Spring.  251 

and  had  brought  with  him  a  basket  of  food, 
"  so  to  have  it  seem  more  like  a  picnic."  This 
he  was  very  glad  to  give  to  the  stranger,  and 
when  he  delivered  the  basket  to  Mr.  Brenner, 
he  said  : 

"  I  saw  that  man  last  night  when  I  was  com- 
ing home  from  the  village.  He  stood  ever  so 
long  looking  down  into  the  river,  just  as  though 
he  meant  to  jump  in ;  and  I  was  so  afraid  he 
would,  I  watched  him  till  he  went  away.  I 
am  glad  I  brought  something  to  eat.  He  can 
have  every  bit  there  is  in  the  basket." 

The  stranger  was  only  too  glad  to  accept  the 
proffered  food,  which  he  ate  while  Mr.  Brenner 
went  in  search  of  George  Hilliard. 

"  I  will  see  the  man  very  soon,"  said  the  lat- 
ter in  response  to  an  application  for  work. 
"  If  he  will  be  satisfied  with  such  wages  as  he 
can  earn,  we  can  probably  find  employment  for 
him.  If  what  he  told  you  is  true,  he  has  come 
in  his  life  to  where  two  ways  meet :  one  lead- 
ing upward  and  the  other  downward.  There 
is  a  soul  to  be  saved  or  lost." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

WARREN    LYFORD   SAVED. 

-  t 

"  Is  there  any  way  to  stop  Dr.  Lash  from 
prescribing  beer  for  his  patients  ?  If  there  is, 
I  wish  it  could  be  done  before  Warren  Lyford 
is  made  a  drunkard. 

"  I  hope  you'll  forgive  my  writing  to  you, 
and  excuse  all  mistakes;  as  I  am  a  poor  old 
woman,  trying  to  do  a  little  good  in  the  world. 
"  Yours  with  great  respect, 

"PHCEBE  BYAM." 

There  were  many  mistakes  in  spelling,  and 
the  cramped,  irregular  characters  betrayed  a 
hand  unused  to  writing;  but  Mr.  Brenner,  to 
whom  the  brief  note  was  addressed,  thought 
only  of  its  contents.  He  read  it  once  carefully, 
then  again  aloud  ;  adding  by  way  of  comment: 

"  I  cannot  understand  why  Dr.  Lash  should 
persist  in  his  crusade  for  beer.  Jacob  Hill  be- 
lieves that  he  is  paid  a  salary  by  Stafford,  but 
it  does  not  seem  to  me  possible  that  a  man  like 

him  could  be  bought  up  for  such  a  purpose." 

(252) 


Warren  Lyford  Saved.  253 

"  Is  Dr.  Lash  a  member  of  our  church  ? " 
asked  Mrs.  Brenner. 

"  He  is,  and  he  has  always  been  very  sensi- 
tive in  regard  to  any  criticism  reflecting  upon 
his  Christian  character.  He  claims,  too,  to  be 
a  temperance  man,  in  spite  of  his  habits  and  his 
advocacy  of  beer." 

"  I  don't  see  how  any  man  doing  as  he  does 
can  be  a  Christian.  If  he  is  not  a  fit  subject  for 
church  discipline,  who  is  ?  I  am  sure  he  must 
be  doing  great  injury  to  the  community." 

"  He  surely  is;  and  so  far  as  I  can  judge,  he 
intends  to  persevere  in  doing  it.  I  think  I  will 
see  Mrs.  Byam,  and  inquire  about  the  Lyfords. 
I  did  not  know  there  was  a  Warren  Lyford  ; 
but  if  there  is,  he  needs  all  the  safeguards  that 
can  be  thrown  around  him." 

"Is  it  Thaddeus  Byam's  grandmother  who 
wrote  you  the  letter  ? " 

"  Yes,  my  dear,  and  she  would  not  have  writ- 
ten if  she  was  not  very  anxious.  I  will  drive 
over  to  her  house,  and  it  may  be  I  shall  think 
best  to  go  to  the  Lyfords'." 

As  Mr.  Brenner  was  about  starting,  George 
Hilliard  came  to  consult  him  in  regard  to  some 
business,  and  accepted  an  invitation  to  ride 
with  him. 

"  And  this  is  where  Thaddeus  Byam  spent 
his  boyhood,"  remarked  the  younger  man,  as 


254         OM  Benches  with  New  Props. 

the}7  came  in  sight  of  the  little  brown  cottage 
which  formed  an  attractive  feature  of  the  land- 
scape. "  I  don't  wonder  he  loves  to  come  back 
to  it." 

Mrs.  Byam  met  them  at  the  door  with  old- 
fashioned  courtesy,  inviting  them  to  "  come  in," 
and  expressing  her  pleasure  at  seeing  them. 

"  You  have  made  some  improvements  since  I 
was  here  last,"  said  Mr.  Brenner. 

"  Thad  makes  the  improvements  and  I  enjoy 
them,"  responded  the  happy  woman.  "  I  have 
nothing  to  do  now  but  to  take  the  good  he 
brings  me.  He  provides  me  with  so  much,  I 
don't  feel  the  need  of  doing  a  great  deal  of 
work ;  so  I  have  plenty  of  time  to  look  after 
my  neighbors,  and  lately  I've  been  troubled 
about  the  Lyfords.  I  don't  expect  anything 
can  be  done  for  old  Jerry,  but  it  seems  as 
though  the  grandchildren  might  be  saved." 

"  I  did  not  know  there  were  any  grandchil- 
dren there." 

"They  are  Oscar's  children.  Oscar  and  his 
wife  are  both  dead,  and  I  don't  know  as  it 
would  have  been  any  better  for  the  children  if 
they  had  lived.  They  were  poor,  and  never 
likely  to  be  any  richer." 

"  Did  Oscar  follow  his  father's  example  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  he  did ;  and  his  wife  was  a  poor, 
shiftless,  discouraged  thing,  who  didn't  know 


Warren  Lyford  Saved.  255 

how  to  make  the  best  of  what  she  had,  and 
didn't  have  much  anyway.  It's  poor  encourage- 
ment for  a  woman  to  work,  when  a  man  cares 
more  for  liquor  than  he  does  for  his  family. 

"  I  want  to  go  up  to  Mr.  Ly ford's.  Mrs.  Ly- 
ford and  I  are  old  friends,  and  I  mean  to  see  her 
before  snow  flies." 

"  Go  with  me  this  morning,  Mrs.  Byam.  I 
will  drive  up  there,  and  perhaps  do  some  busi- 
ness while  you  are  visiting.  I  have  heard  that 
Lyford  has  some  fine  standing  timber." 

"  He  must  have,  Mr.  Brenner,  and  if  I  shouldn't 
be  a  trouble  I  should  be  glad  to  ride  up  there. 
It  is  a  long  walk,  and  I  can't  walk  as  well  as  T 
used  to.  I  can  tell  you  about  Warren  Lyford 
as  we  go  along." 

George  Hilliard  went  back  through  the  woods 
to  his  work,  while  Mrs.  Byam  made  herself 
ready  to  accompany  Mr.  Brenner.  To  reach 
the  Lyfords  by  carriage,  they  were  obliged  to 
go  through  the  village.  When  opposite  the 
saloon  their  attention  was  arrested  by  seeing 
Dr.  Lash  talking  with  a  lad,  and  apparently 
urging  him  to  some  course  of  action  at  which 
he  hesitated. 

"  That  must  be  Warren  Lyford,"  exclaimed 
Mrs.  Byam.  "It  is  more  than  a  year  since  I 
saw  him,  but  I  can't  be  mistaken.  He  is  a 
cripple,  and  you  see  he  favors  one  foot  as  he 


256         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

stands.  If  you  would  speak  to  him  it  might  do 
good. 

"  I  don't  see  how  he  got  down  here.  He  must 
have  walked,  for  Jerry  Lyford  hasn't  had  a 
horse  for  more  than  five  years.  I  wish  you 
would  speak  to  him.  It  might  do  good." 

"  I  will,  and  if  it  is  Warren  Lyford  I  can 
take  him  home." 

"  I  wish  you  would.  He  is  not  very  strong. 
I  heard  the  doctor  recommended  him  to  drink 
beer  as  a  medicine,  and  if  he  once  begins  there 
can't  anything  stop  him.  It  is  as  natural  for  a 
Lyford  to  drink  liquor,  as  it  is  for  a  fish  to 


swim." 


This  last  remark  was  lost  upon  Mr.  Brenner, 
who  had  left  the  carriage,  and  reached  Dr.  Lash 
just  as  he  was  entering  the  saloon  with  his 
young  companion. 

"  Doctor,  have  you  forgotten  that  you  pro- 
fess to  be  a  Christian  ? " 

This  question,  sharply  spoken,  was  followed 
by  another : 

"  Are  you  prepared  to  answer  for  another's 
sins  in  the  day  of  judgment  ?  If  not,  come 
away  from  that  saloon  ;  and,  if  you  have  any 
respect  for  yourself,  never  be  seen  near  it  again." 

Turning  to  the  lad,  Mr.  Brenner  asked  : 

"  Are  you  Warren  Lyford  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  was  replied, 


Warren  Lyford  Saved.  257 

"  I  am  going  to  your  grandfather's,  and  can 
save  you  a  long  walk  if  you  will  ride  with  me." 

"Thank  you,  sir,  but  I  must  find  some  work 
to  do.  I  want  to  find  some  work,  so  I  can  take 
care  of  my  sister.  Grandfather  is " 

Dr.  Lash  had  hurried  away,  so  the  two  were 
left  to  themselves  to  continue  their  conversa- 
tion. 

"  Is  your  grandfather  sick  \  " 

"  No,  sir,  but — but  grandmother  says  it  is 
worse  than  it  ever  was  before,  and  she  don't 
know  how  we  can  all  have  enough  to  eat  this 
winter.  I  ain't  strong,  but  Dr.  Lash  says  if  I 
drink  beer  every  day  I  shall  grow  stronger.  Do 
you  think  I  should  ?  " 

The  questioner  looked  up  earnestly,  as  if  ready 
to  accept  as  a  final  decision  the  answer  he  should 
receive. 

"  No,  indeed,  my  boy.  You  would  grow 
weaker  and  wickeder  ;  and  if  you  continued  to 
drink  beer  you  would  be  a  beer-drunkard." 

"  So  it  read  in  the  tract,  but  grandfather  said 
it  wasn't  true.  He  said  Dr.  Lash  could  tell  me 
all  about  it.  Sallie  believes  the  tract,  but — 
but  I  didn't  know." 

"  The  tract  tells  the  truth." 

"  Then  Dr.  Lash  tells  a  lie." 

"  Dr.  Lash  is  mistaken." 

Far  up  on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  at  the 


258         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

end  of  a  road  so  little  travelled  that  the  grasses 
grew  rank  and  tall  on  either  side  of  the  slightly 
worn  track,  was  the  home  of  the  Lyfords.  John 
Lyford,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town,  had 
bought  a  large  tract  of  land,  built  a  log-cabin, 
and  brought  here  his  bride  to  share  in  the  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life. 

Later  the  log-cabin  had  given  place  to  a 
framed  house,  in  which  sons  and  daughters 
grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood.  In  time, 
where  had  been  the  primeval  forest  there  were 
cultivated  fields,  orchards,  and  broad  reaches 
of  pasture-land. 

Of  the  thousand  acres  once  belonging  to  John 
Lyford,  less  than  a  hundred  now  remained  to 
the  family,  most  of  this  valuable  only  for  the 
timber  growing  upon  it.  Piece  by  piece  the 
goodly  estate  had  been  sold  until  it  came  into 
the  possession  of  its  present  owner,  who  had 
often  said  that  not  a  square  foot  of  land  should 
go  while  he  lived. 

If  he  counted  not  an  acre  less  it  was  no  proof 
of  thrift.  His  house  was  sadly  out  of  repair. 
The  floors  were  worn  to  a  dangerous  thinness  ; 
the  doors  sagged  on  their  hinges  ;  the  windows 
presented  a  disgusting  array  of  rags,  old  hats, 
and  pieces  of  boards ;  while  the  roof,  moss- 
grown  with  age,  afforded  but  poor  protection 
from  winter's  snow  or  summer  rain.  The  barns 


Warren  Lyford  Saved.  259 

were  in  even  worse  condition  than  the  house. 
Everything  betokened  carelessness  and  indif- 
ference. 

Jerry  Lyford  could  not  truthfully  be  called  a 
poor  man,  yet  his  family  suffered  all  the  priva- 
tions of  poverty.  Whenever  the  subject  of 
temperance  was  under  consideration  he  pro- 
claimed himself  a  moderate  drinker,  who  be- 
lieved in  using  the  good  things  of  life  without 
abusing  them. 

It  was  a  question  with  others  if  drinking 
could  be  called  moderate  which  made  such  con- 
stant drain  upon  the  time,  strength,  and  money 
of  the  drinker.  Every  sale  of  land  from  the 
Lyford  estate  had  been  made  for  the  payment 
of  a  debt  incurred  for  alcoholic  drinks,  and  still 
the  sons  followed  the  example  of  their  fathers. 

Jerry  Lyford  was  an  old  man ;  his  wife  five 
years  his  junior,  and  yet  feeling  the  effects  of 
age  and  disappointment.  She  might  struggle 
against  her  fate,  but  she  had  no  power  to 
change  it.  Winter  would  soon  be  upon  them 
and  little  preparation  had  been  made  to  meet 
its  inclemency.  Less  than  usual  had  been 
raised  on  the  farm,  with  the  exception  of  bar- 
ley, which  had  been  attached  for  debt  by  Jack- 
man,  the  tavern-keeper,  and  sold  to  Stafford,  the 
brewer. 

"  Did  you  owe  that  man  ?  "  Sallie  had  asked 


260         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

her  grandfather,  who  was  expressing  his  indig- 
nation at  the  treatment  he  had  received. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered  gruffly. 

"  What  did  you  buy  of  him  ? "  the  child 
continued. 

"  Something  I  wanted  ;  and  now  I've  told 
you  all  I  shall,  so  you  needn't  ask  me  any  more 
questions." 

From  this  time  the  brother  and  sister  dis- 
cussed ways  and  means  of  earning  money  and 
so  supporting  themselves ;  and  having  heard 
Dr.  Lash  praised  as  a  man  who  could  make 
people  well  and  strong,  Warren  Lyford  deter- 
mined to  apply  to  him,  with  what  result  we 
have  already  described. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

TWO    GOSPELS. 

"  MISSIONARY  work  to  he  done  at  Stafford's 
Corner,  and  it  must  be  done  or  the  town  will  be 
overwhelmed  by  ignorance  and  beer.  The  longer 
we  wait  the  harder  it  will  be  to  make  a  begin- 
ning." 

So  said  the  clergyman  who  had  lately  come 
to  one  of  the  village  churches,  and  who  believed 
heartily  in  the  gospel  of  temperance. 

Some  missionary  work  had  been  attempted 
in  that  quarter,  but  it  was  so  rudely  repulsed 
as  to  quite  discourage  the  workers. 

The  clergymen  on  the  ground  at  the  time 
the  brewery  was  under  consideration  opposed 
its  establishment ;  yet  afterward,  when  asked 
to  use  their  influence  against  it,  hesitated,  tem- 
porized, and  finally  submitted  to  what  seemed 
to  them  inevitable.  They  could  preach  to  all 
who  would  come  to  listen,  and  pray  for  those 
who  remained  away,  and  beyond  this  they  felt 
themselves  powerless. 

Clyde  Stafford  professed  to  desire  the  best 

good  of  his  workmen,  and  although  he  seldom 

(261) 


262         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

attended  church  himself,  advised  them  to  attend. 
He  contributed  to  the  support  of  each  society, 
saying  he  thought  it  the  duty  of  every  business 
man  to  help  support  the  institutions  of  religion. 

One  clergyman  had  found  another  field  of 
labor;  so  leaving  a  vacant  pulpit,  to  which  was 
called  a  fearless,  enthusiastic  man,  who  left  un- 
improved no  opportunity  to  strike  a  blow  at 
the  liquor  traffic.  He  was  wont  to  say : 

"  It  is  the  gospel  of  Christ  and  temperance 
against  the  gospel  of  the  liquor-maker  and  the 
liquor-seller.  They  are  pitted  against  each  other 
the  world  over.  In  the  end  the  first  will  win, 
but  some  one  must  preach  it  before  the  victory 
can  be  gained." 

A  new  physician  had  also  come  to  the  town ; 
a  friend  of  the  outspoken  clergyman,  a  Chris- 
tian and  a  teetotaler,  who  was  ready  at  all  times 
to  give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  was  in  him. 

Dr.  Lash,  who  felt  himself  growing  old,  and 
whose  habits  were  making  rapid  inroads  upon 
his  strength,  called  upon  his  brother  physician 
soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  latter. 

"  This  is  a  good  town,"  he  said,  rubbing  his 
hands  vigorously.  "  The  people  are  all  good 
citizens,  'though  they  don't  all  think  alike. 
Some  are  too  radical,  and  some  take  things  too 
easy.  For  my  part,  I  believe  in  middle  ground 
and  moderation  in  all  things." 


Two  Gospels.  263 

"  Often  there  is  no  middle  ground,"  was  re- 
plied. "  It  is  for,  or  against,  and  I  for  one  have 
decided  opinions  upon  most  subjects." 

"  A  man  can  have  opinions  without  express- 
ing them.  I  have  found  it  best  in  my  life 
sometimes  to  appear  to  agree  with  others  when 
I  could  not  fully  endorse  their  opinions." 

"That  may  do  very  well,  Dr.  Lash,  under 
some  circumstances,  but  where  principle  is  at 
stake,  I  believe  in  standing  squarely  for  what 
you  believe  to  be  right." 

"  But  we  are  to  be  wise  as  serpents  and  harm- 
less as  doves." 

"  Doves  are  well  in  their  place,  doctor,  but 
there  must  be  aggressive  work  in  this  world  if 
men  are  to  be  saved.  I  hesitated  about  coming 
here,  on  account  of  Stafford's  brewery,  but  Mr. 
Dunning  thought  a  teetotal  physician  was  all 
the  more  needed  because  of  it." 

"  Maybe  he  was  right,  though  I  can't  think 
as  he  does  about  the  use  of  stimulants.  I  have 
had  a  long  experience,  and  ought  to  be  able  to 
judge  intelligently.  I  don't  doubt  but  what 
Mr.  Dunning  is  a  good  man,  and  I  hope  his 
church  will  sustain  him.  Mr.  Brenner  was  very 
active  in  getting  him  here,  and  no  doubt  will 
stand  by  him.  I  haven't  a  word  to  say  against 
him,  but  temperance  isn't  exactly  the  Gospel.  I 
believe  in  ministers  preaching  the  Gospel." 


264         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  So  do  I ;  good  tidings  of  great  joy  to  all 
the  people,  and  every  one  who  preaches  tem- 
perance preaches  just  such  tidings;  the  possi- 
bilities of  human  nature  under  its  best  condi- 
tions. 

"  These  conditions  are  better  understood  than 
they  were  fifty  years  ago.  The  world  has 
moved,  and  medical  science  has  made  a  great 
advance.  At  one  time  alcoholic  stimulants 
were  recommended  by  all  physicians ;  now  we 
are  learning  that  in  most  cases  they  injure, 
rather  than  benefit  the  patient.  Then,  too,  we 
are  beginning  to  understand  better  the  great 
law  of  heredity,  and  hesitate  to  prescribe  such 
stimulants  under  any  circumstances,  for  fear  we 
may  'rouse  to  action  an  inherited  appetite  which 
will  not  down  again. 

"  A  physician  needs  to  take  a  broad  outlook. 
He  must  look  beyond  the  present  exigency. 
You  may  not  agree  with  me,  Dr.  Lash,  and  pos- 
sibly you  may  think  the  new  doctor  as  much 
too  radical  as  the  new  minister;  but  I  have 
reached  my  conclusions  after  careful  study  of 
the  subject." 

"  I  hope  you  will  both  do  good,"  responded 
the  visitor,  and  soon  after  took  his  leave. 

Not  long  after  this  an  accident  occurred  in 
the  brewery,  by  which  six  men  were  so  injured 
as  to  require  skillful  medical  treatment.  Clyde 


Two  Gospels.  265 

Stafford  would  have  sent  at  once  for  Dr.  Lash, 
but  as  soon  as  this  was  proposed,  one  of  the  in- 
jured men  said  : 

"  I  don't  want  that  old  sot.  I  won't  have 
him  touch  me.  I  want  a  doctor  who  knows 
something.  Send  for  Dr.  Nute,  and  give  him 
the  whole  job." 

The  men  were  taken  to  their  homes,  and  Dr. 
Nute  was  called.  Their  wounds  were  dressed, 
and  they  were  made  as  comfortable  as  their 
condition  would  permit. 

"  Now,  it  all  depends  upon  yourself,"  he  said 
to  each  one  when  leaving.  "  If  you  will  follow 
my  directions  you  will  come  out  all  right." 

Then  he  gave  his  directions ;  insisting  upon 
a  meagre  diet,  and  "  not  a  drop  of  beer." 

"  Not  a  drop  of  beer,"  he  repeated. 

Four  of  the  men  promised  to  obey  to  the  let- 
ter, while  two  evaded  the  questions  intended  to 
lead  them  to  make  such  a  promise. 

"  Weak  tea,  crackers,  and  milk  !  "  exclaimed 
one,  when  the  doctor  had  gone.  "  How  can  I 
keep  up  my  strength  on  that  ?  I  shall  have  my 
rations  of  beer,  the  same  as  if  1  was  at  work. 
Stafford  sha'n't  make  anything  out  of  this  job." 

"  But  you  know  what  the  doctor  said,"  urged 
this  man's  wife. 

"  He  says,  too,  that  beer  is  the  worst  stuff  a 
man  can  drink  anytime,  sick  or  well,  and  I  say 


266         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

he  don't  know  anything  about  it.  He  talks  the  big- 
gest kind  of  nonsense,  and  I  shall  have  my  beer." 

This  man's  next-door  neighbor  was  of  the 
same  opinion;  both  asserting  their  independ- 
ence, and  claiming  to  know  what  was  best  for 
them  to  do.  Advice  and  remonstrance  were 
lost  upon  them.  Even  their  employer  found  it 
impossible  to  influence  them. 

"  It  is  no  time  to  quarrel  with  a  physician 
when  you  are  under  his  care,"  said  Clyde  Staf- 
ford, realizing  how  much  depended  upon  proper 
regimen.  "  Dr.  Nute  has  the  reputation  of  be- 
ing a  fine  surgeon,  and  the  best  you  can  do  is 
to  follow  his  directions  until  you  are  well. 
Then  you  can  go  back  to  your  old  habits." 

That  the  brewer  was  sincere  in  his  advice  no 
one  could  doubt.  The  injured  men  had  been 
hired  by  him  because  they  had  been  trained  to 
the  work  he  wished  them  to  do.  They  were 
inveterate  beer -drinkers,  coarse,  uneducated, 
and  stubborn  to  the  last  degree.  Their  very 
looks  betrayed  the  impurity  of  their  blood, 
which  would  make  recovery  from  even  a  slight 
accident  doubtful  and  difficult. 

Beer  they  would  have  at  any  cost,  while  they 
ridiculed  the  idea  that  it  could  do  them  an  in- 
jury. The  result  was  what  had  been  predicted. 
The  process  of  healing  was  arrested,  and  not 
until  too  late  were  they  convinced  that  they  had 


Two  Gospels.  267 

sacrificed  their  lives  for  the  gratification  of  a  de- 
basing appetite. 

"  I  knew  it  would  be  so,"  remarked  Dr.  Nute 
to  Mr.  Dunning,  as  they  were  leaving  the  ceme- 
tery together  after  the  funeral  of  these  men. 
"They  had  little  to  fall  back  upon  in  the  way  of 
physical  resistance ;  and,  besides,  they  kept  their 
blood  at  fever  heat.  To  a  casual  observer  they 
were  stout,  robust-looking  men,  but  they  were 
poisoned  through  and  through  with  beer.  They 
drank  it  more  freely  than  they  would  drink 
water,  and  the  end  is  not  yet.  They  have  left 
families  of  children  to  inherit  disease,  weakness, 
and  a  depraved  appetite." 

The  circumstances  attending  these  deaths 
were  the  universal  topics  of  conversation 
throughout  the  town ;  some  being,  louder  than 
ever  before  in  their  condemnation  of  beer-drink- 
ing, while  others  quoted  various  authorities  to 
prove  its  healthfuluess.  It  was  predicted  by  those 
whose  wish  was  parent  of  the  thought,  that  the 
new  minister  and  the  new  doctor  would  find  them- 
selves so  unpopular  they  would  soon  leave  town. 

"  They  won't  go  if  I  can  do  anything  to  keep 
them,"  said  Miv  Jackman.  "  I've  sold  liquor, 
and  I'm  sorry  for  it.  I'm  ashamed  of  it.  It 
is  mean  business,  but  I  never  was  mean  enough 
to  pretend  that  in  doing  what  I  did  I  was  help- 
ing the  cause  of  temperance.  That  is  what  some 


268         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

of  the  brewers  say,  and  they  know  they  are 
lying  every  time  they  say  so. 

"  I  sold  Lyford's  barley  to  Stafford  and  he 
paid  roe  for  it.  Lyford  owed  me  for  liquor. 
First  and  last,  he  has  paid  me  a  good  deal  of 
money.  As  I  looked  at  it,  I  had  a  right  to  the 
value  of  that  barley,  but  I'll  give  every  dollar 
of  it  to  Lyford  if  he'll  spend  it  for  his  family. 
It  would  pay  for  a  good  stock  of  groceries,  with 
some  left  to  buy  glass  and  shingles.  That 
grandson  of  Lyford's  has  been  all  'round  trying 
to  find  some  work  he  can  do  to  earn  some  money. 
He  came  to  me,  and  I  pitied  him  so,  I  asked 
him  to  stay  a  week  or  two  till  he  got  stronger. 
I  told  my  wife  what  he  needed  most  of  anything 
was  plenty  of  good  victuals,  and  some  lively 
company  to  make  him  have  a  jolly  time.  Dr. 
Lash  told  him  to  drink  beer,  but  he  won't  do 
it.  His  grandfather  is  growing  poorer  every 
day,  and  knowing  that  don't  make  a  man  any 
pleasanter  in  his  family.  Mr.  Brenner  has  been 
up  to  see  about  buying  some  timber  of  him,  and 
I  hope  Mr.  Brenner  will  get  it.  Stafford  wants 
it,  the  same  as  he  wants  everything,  but  it  will 
be  put  to  a  bad  use  if  he  gets  it.  It  wouldn't 
be  right,  and  I  don't  want  to  destroy  anybody's 
property,  but  if  there  was  to  be  a  fire  in  town, 
I  know  of  one  building  that  could  be  spared 
better  than  any  other." 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

THE     SALOON-KEEPER. 

THE  saloon  door  was  thrown  wide  open,  and 
a  man  called  loudly  : 

"  Scully,  I  wish  to  see  you  ! " 

"  I  am  to  be  seen  in  my  place  of  business," 
replied  the  saloon-keeper,  as  he  stepped  from 
behind  the  bar.  "  Come  in,  Mr.  Lunt." 

"  Never.  I  will  never  cross  the  threshold  of 
your  place  of  business,  unless  to  help  clear 
it  of  its  cursed  contents.  I  have  something  to 
say  to  you." 

"  Say  on  ;  I  can  hear." 

"  Then  listen.  I  forbid  your  selling  beer  or 
tobacco  to  either  of  my  boys.  If  I  know  of 
your  doing  it,  I  will  prosecute  and  punish  you 
to  the  full  extent  of  the  law.  I  will  make  this 
town  so  hot  for  you,  you  will  be  glad  to  leave 
it.  You  hear  me,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  hear  you,  Mr.  Lunt,  and  I  advise  you  to 
keep  your  boys  where  you  want  them.  I  shall 
not  go  after  them.  I  am  here  to  keep  a  saloon 
and  make  what  money  I  can  out  of  it.  It  is 

none  of  my  business  to  look  after  your  boys." 

(269) 


270       Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  You  make  it  your  business.  If  ever  a  man 
set  himself  to  ruin  the  boys  of  a  town,  you  are 
that  man." 

"  I  deny  that  charge.  I  am  doing  an  honest 
business,  and  the  people  of  the  town  sustain  me 
in  it." 

"  Not  all  the  people  sustain  you.  Many  con- 
demn and  despise  you." 

"  For  all  that,  this  is  a  free  country,  and  the 
majority  rule.  The  majority  don't  want  to  in- 
terfere with  me.  I  know  both  sides  of  the  story 
a  good  deal  better  than  you  do.  It  will  be 
wasting  words  for  you  to  talk  to  me." 

A  crowd  had  gathered  around  the  saloon  ; 
among  others  there  was  Mr.  Brenner,  who  wished 
to  give  his  townsman  the  support  of  his  pres- 
ence, and  who  now  said  : 

u  Mr.  Scully,  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  remem- 
ber that  you  are  here  only  on  sufferance.  There 
will  come  a  day  of  reckoning,  when  your  sins 
will  confront  you." 

For  once  the  saloon-keeper  had  no  reply  to 
make.  His  face  flushed  for  a  moment,  and  then 
was  deathly  pale.  He  reached  out  his  hand  as 
if  to  close  the  door,  then  turned  away  without 
doing  so. 

Stafford,  who  had  heard  the  colloquy,  did 
not  care  to  interfere.  Only  a  few  days  before 
he  had  met  Mr.  Brenner  at  Lyford's,  where  this 


The  Saloon-Keeper.  271 

gentleman  had  anticipated  him  in  the  purchase 
of  some  lumber. 

Mr.  Brenner,  Jacob  Hill,  Mrs.  Byam,  and  her 
grandson  were  the  members  of  the  community 
he  most  feared.  This  he  acknowledged  to  his 
father,  while  to  himself  he  confessed  that  Tamson 
Brenner  was  his  strongest  opponent.  He  had 
his  circle  of  friends  and  admirers,  but  when  he 
saw  George  Hilliard  welcomed  to  the  society  of 
those  who  gave  him  only  the  most  formal  recog- 
nition, he  was  deeply  chagrined. 

In  all  this,  however,  he  had  one  great  conso- 
lation. He  was  doing  a  most  profitable  busi- 
ness, backed  by  an  association  of  brewers,  bound 
to  stand  by  each  other  and  fight  all  fanatics  who 
dared  question  their  right  to  make  and  sell 
what  they  pleased,  regardless  of  the  interests 
of  their  patrons. 

"  A  free  country.     No  sumptuary  laws." 

"  Free  country  or  not,  we  of  this  town  will 
express  our  minds,"  said  Jacob  Hill.  "  If  any 
one  will  go  with  me,  I  will  call  at  every  house 
in  town  and  talk  up  this  matter." 

"  Including  Stafford's  Corner  ?  "  was  asked  in 
reply. 

"Certainly.  That  would  be  the  last  place 
to  leave  out  of  the  canvass.  I  should  like  some 
one  younger  to  go  with  me." 

"  Tamson  Brenner  would  be  a  good  associate." 


272         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  Yes,  but  there  are  some  places  I  should  not 
like  to  have  her  visit,  and  there  are  some  people 
I  should  not  like  to  have  her  meet.  If  Thad 
By  am  was  here  I  would  enlist  him." 

Mrs.  Byam  said  Thad  was  coming  the  next 
week  to  remain  for  several  days.  He  had  some 
new  plans  to  carry  out.  His  grandmother,  too, 
had  some  new  plans  she  wished  his  assistance 
in  carrying  out,  yet  no  one  but  herself  knew 
what  they  were. 

As  usual,  when  Thad  Byam  was  expected, 
there  was  a  large  attendance  at  the  weekly  tem- 
perance meeting,  and,  strange  to  say,  some  habit- 
ual beer-drinkers  were  present.  Why  they  had 
come  was  a  mystery,  but  what  they  heard  sent 
them  to  their  homes  in  no  enviable  frame  of 
mind.  Thad  Byam  was  the  principal  speaker 
of  the  evening,  when  he  took  occasion  to  state 
some  facts  in  regard  to  brewers  and  distillers. 

"  Monopolists,  the  most  selfish  and  the  most 
aggressive  of  any  class  of  men  in  the  country ; 
reckless  of  the  good  of  the  community  ;  actu- 
ally forcing  their  wares  upon  the  people ;  they 
are  making  enormous  fortunes  out  of  the  me- 
chanics and  laboring  men  of  the  community. 
They  defy  the  temperance  sentiment  of  the  en- 
tire country.  They  are  building  breweries 
wherever  they  can  obtain  a  foothold ;  profess- 
ing— what  ? 


The  Saloon-Keeper.  273 

"  To  furnish  a  temperance  drink ;  to  improve 
business ;  to  provide  a  home  market  for  the 
farmer's  grain,  and  give  employment  to  men 
who  would  otherwise  be  idle. 

"  Beer  is  not  a  temperance  drink.  I  have 
seen  men  drunk  on  beer.  A  brewery  does  not 
improve  the  business  of  a  town.  A  shoe-shop, 
or  a  shop  for  the  manufacture  of  any  article 
necessary  to  the  comfort  of  a  family,  costing  as 
much  as  Stafford's  brewery,  would  employ  ten 
times  as  many  men,  without  tempting  them  to 
guzzle  beer  until  they  become  cross  and  stupid. 

"  Think  of  boys  twelve  years  of  age  going  to 
school  so  stupefied  with  beer  that  they  cannot 
sit  erect  in  their  seats  ! 

"  This  is  a  small  town,  but  we  cannot  afford 
to  have  a  brewery  here." 

"  But  we  have  it.    What  can  we  do  about  it  ? " 

"  Boycott  it,"  was  replied  promptly.  "  The 
brewery  was  sprung  upon  the  town  before  the 
voters  realized  what  it  would  be." 

"  The  saloon  came  with  it." 

"  Boycott  that.  If  no  one  patronized  the  sa- 
loon it  would  soon  be  closed.  Keep  the  boys 
away  from  it.  Their  souls  are  worth  too  much 
to  be  bartered  for  beer  and  tobacco.  Don't  go 
to  the  saloon." 

"  There  isn't  a  boy  here  in  the  hall  who  ever 
goes  to  the  saloon  now" 


274          Old  Benches  ivith  New  Props. 

This  was  said  with  so  strong  an  emphasis 
upon  the  little  adverb  of  time  as  to  provoke  a 
smile ;  but  the  next  day,  when  it  was  report- 
ed to  Scully,  he  declared  with  an  oath  that,  if 
he  could  have  his  way,  he  would  "  have  all  the 
boys  in  town  dead  drunk  within  twenty-four 
hours."  He  would  not  dare  make  the  least 
effort  to  accomplish  this ;  knowing,  as  he  did, 
that  retribution  would  be  sharp  and  sudden. 

Clyde  Stafford  had  often  cautioned  him 
against  carrying  matters  with  too  high  a  hand, 
but  Scully  was  beginning  to  feel  himself  master 
of  the  situation.  The  brewer  had  so  often  pro- 
tested that  he  had  no  interest  in  the  saloon,  it 
was  absurd  for  him  to  attempt  anything  like 
dictation  in  regard  to  its  management. 

Meanwhile  the  canvass  of  the  town  was  be- 
gun at  Lyford's,  by  Jacob  Hill  and  Thad  Byam. 

"  I've  heard  about  this  young  man,"  said  Mr. 
Lyford.  "  I  used  to  see  him  when  he  was  a 
boy.  His  grandma'am  and  my  wife  used  to 
visit  together  when  he  was  a  boy.  You've 
been  lucky,"  he  added,  turning  to  Thaddeus 
Byam. 

"I  have  been  lucky  enough  to  work  hard, 
and  save  what  I  could  of  iny  earnings.  I  have 
earned  all  T  could." 

"Folks  say  you've  got  a  long  head-piece. 
The  Lord  makes  a  difference  in  folks,  and  I 


The  Saloon- Keeper.  275 

can't  help  thinking  He'll  remember  that  when 
we  get  through.  Some  grow  richer  and  some 
grow  poorer." 

"  There  is  generally  some  reason  for  the  dif- 
ference in  people,"  said  Mr.  Hill.  "  It  isn't  all 
the  Lord's  doings,  and  it  isn't  all  luck.  A  good 
deal  depends  on  ourselves." 

"Yes,  yes;  I  know  what's  coming.  Now 
I  am  old  and  feeble,  you  want  me  to  give  up 
drinking  what  I've  always  been  used  to,  and  I 
can't  do  it.  I  can't,  and  it's  no  use  talking  about 
it.  Jackman  came  up  here  and  made  me  a 
generous  offer,  but  I  wouldn't  take  the  money 
he  got  from  Stafford  for  my  barley. 

"  I  sold  some  timber  to  Mr.  Brenner,  and  I 
brought  some  things  into  the  house  that  will 
make  us  more  comfortable,  but  I  must  have  my 
liquor.  My  father  drank  before  me,  and  his 
father  before  him,  and  so  back  I  don't  know 
how  far.  My  boy  drank.  It  hurt  me  to  see 
him,  but  I  couldn't  say  much.  There's  Warren 
and  Sallie ;  they  mean  to  stick  to  cold  water, 
and  I  hope  they  will,  but  it's  too  late  for  me." 

"  But  about  voting.  Will  you  vote  with  us 
at  the  next  meeting  ? " 

"  Tell  me  how  you  want  me  to  vote,  and  I 
am  your  man.  If  my  vote  will  do  you  any 
good,  you  shall  have  it." 

This  promise  was  something  gained  for  their 


276        Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

cause,  and  the  two  men  left  the  mountain  en- 
couraged to  persevere  in  their  canvass. 

Most  of  the  calls  made  were  short.  Where 
the  people  were  in  sympathy  with  them,  ques- 
tions were  quickly  answered.  Where  there  was 
violent  opposition  they  did  not  waste  their 
words.  Every  house  was  visited  ;  the  result  of 
these  visits  being  more  favorable  than  they  had 
dared  to  hope. 

Contrary  to  their  expectations,  they  were 
courteously  received  at  Stafford's  Corner ;  some 
of  the  tenants  acknowledging  that  they  were 
injuring  themselves  by  their  beer  -  drinking 
habits,  and  professing  themselves  willing  to 
vote  for  any  measure  calculated  to  advance  the 
cause  of  temperance. 

"  Scully  is  a  wretch,"  said  a  woman  who  was 
doing  her  best  to  bring  up  her  children  with  a 
hatred  for  all  intoxicating  drinks.  "  He  tries 
all  ways  to  draw  in  the  boys  and  young  men. 
A  good  many  of  the  older  ones  don't  need  any 
coaxing. 

"  Some  of  us  women  have  been  talking  it 
over,  and  we  have  made  up  our  minds  to  save 
our  children  if  we  can.  If  we  can't  do  it  here 
with  our  husbands,  we  are  going  away  by  our- 
selves. We  must  save  our  children.  I  know 
marrying  is  for  life,  but  a  woman  has  a  duty  to 
her  children. 


The  Saloon-Keeper.  277 

"  Mr.  Dunning  has  been  down  here  and  talked 
to  us,  and  the  new  doctor  just  goes  through  the 
Corner  preaching  against  beer.  We  have  had 
tracts  to  read  too,  and  the  children  read  them 
to  each  other. 

"  There  ain't  anything  else  makes  Stafford  so 
mad  as  to  see  those  tracts.  I  don't  know  who 
sends  them,  but  I  hope  they'll  keep  coming." 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

WARNED. 

AND  keep  coming  they  did  until  "  the  town 
was  flooded  with  temperance  literature."  Tracts 
and  leaflets  were  mailed  to  every  family  in  town, 
scattered  broadcast  and  posted  in  conspicuous 
places;  so  that  the  attention  of  the  community 
could  not  fail  to  be  arrested. 

To  be  sure,  many  were  twisted  into  lighters 
for  cigars  and  pipes  ;  the  smokers  thus  express- 
ing their  contempt  for  "  such  rubbish,"  yet  for 
the  moment  they  were  obliged  to  think  of  tem- 
perance. 

Stafford  complained  that  there  was  an  at- 
tempt to  ruin  his  business ;  but  as  he  had  no 
clue  to  the  offender,  his  threats  of  punishment 
availed  nothing. 

One  morning  the  entire  front  of  the  saloon 
was  covered  with  posters  denouncing  the  use  of 
beer,  and  branding  it  as  a  vile  concoction,  of 
which  alcohol  formed  a  component  part,  and 
which,  with  dirty  water  from  decayed  grain, 
was  sold  at  an  enormous  gain  to  the  producer 
and  a  corresponding  loss  to  the  consumer. 
(278) 


Warned.  2  79 

No  better  way  could  have  been  devised  to 
bring  the  subject  before  the  people.  Even  the 
patrons  of  the  saloon  considered  it  "  a  good 
joke."  As  the  posters  were  torn  down,  one 
after  another,  they  were  seized  by  the  bystand- 
ers, and  because  of  the  very  difficulty  of  match- 
ing the  irregular  bits,  they  were  read  and  dis- 
cussed at  leisure. 

Scully  said  little,  although  he  ground  his 
teeth  in  impotent  rage.  He  controlled  himself 
so  far,  that  beyond  a  muttered  oath,  he  gave  no 
expression  to  his  anger. 

As  for  Stafford,  he  made  no  attempt  to  curb 
either  his  indignation  or  its  expression.  The 
scoundrel  who  had  so  insulted  him  and  defamed 
his  beer  "  deserved  imprisonment  for  life.  No 
person  with  any  claim  to  be  considered  respect- 
able and  law-abiding  but  would  condemn  such 
an  outrage." 

"  I  have  no  idea  who  deserves  the  credit  of 
papering  the  saloon,  but  it  was  the  best  job 
that  has  been  done  for  our  side,  and  the  hard- 
est blow  Stafford  has  had,"  said  Jacob  Hill, 
when  speaking  of  the  affair. 

"If  hard  blows  would  drive  his  brewery  out 
of  town,  it  would  be  a  blessed  thing  for  us  all," 
replied  Luke  Brenner. 

"  And  as  he  can't  be  driven  out  of  town  at 
present,  the  next  best  thing  is  to  do  all  we  can 


280         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

to  weaken  his  influence.  If  we  can  carry  our 
point  at  town  meeting  we  shall  make  a  great 
gain,  and  I  believe  we  shall  have  everything  our 
own  way." 

"  Of  course  By  am  has  faith  or  he  would  not 
have  purchased  the  property  he  hopes  to  im- 
prove. It  is  bought  and  the  price  paid.  Staf- 
ford will  regard  that  transaction  as  another  blow 
aimed  at  him." 

"  Thank  God  for  every  blow.  He  isn't  car- 
rying things  with  quite  so  high  a  hand  as  he 
calculated.  It  will  be  a  grand  thing  for  the 
town  to  have  Thad  Byam  here.  He  is  a  host 
in  himself,  and  the  fact  that  he  has  worked  his 
way  up  to  his  present  position  is  an  object-les- 
son for  all  our  young  people." 

"  That  is  true.  I  overheard  Dolf  Turner  talk- 
ing with  Ann,  and  telling  her  what  he  intended 
to  do  when  he  should  be  a  man.  He  made  fre- 
quent reference  to  Mr.  Byam,  who  used  to  be 
poor  as  anybody." 

"  Thad  has  done  well ;  and  one  good  thing 
about  him,  he  has  not  outgrown  his  grand- 
mother's cottage.  He  has  forgotten  none  of  his 
old  friends.  It  was  a  great  thing  to  speak  the 
words  which  saved  him,  as  he  says  you  did." 

"  It  was  only  a  word  spoken  in  season,  Jacob. 
The  Lord  added  His  blessing,  and  we  have  Thad- 
deus  Byam,  the  inventor  and  Christian  worker. 


Warned.  281 

He  in  turn  saved  Tim  Durrell,  and  so  the  work 
goes  on.  He  has  paid  me  a  thousand  times  for 
all  I  did  for  him." 

"  He  does  not  think  so." 

"  I  know  he  does  not ;  but  it  was  through  his 
influence  that  Stafford  was  paid.  Mr.  Anslow 
would  hardly  have  come  to  me  with  the  money." 

"  He  will  be  repaid,  Cousin  Luke." 

"  Every  dollar.  We  shall  make  quite  a  re- 
spectable payment  this  year.  Mr.  Hilliard  is 
paying  me  slowly  on  his  debt,  and  George  takes 
only  enough  of  his  wages  to  meet  his  expenses, 
which  he  makes  as  light  as  possible.  So  they 
are  gaining  as  well  as  we. 

"  I  feel  as  though  I  had  taken  a  new  lease  of 
life,  and  sometimes  I  think  I  may  work  twenty 
years  longer.  At  any  rate,  I  shall  do  all  I  can. 
I  am  surprised  to  find  how  much  I  enjoy  my 
work,  and  my  wife  says  she  is  happier  than  she 
ever  was  before  in  her  life.  Tamson  is  happy 
too.  We  have  been  successful  in  everything  we 
have  undertaken.  Our  lumber  has  sold  for  a 
high  price,  and  there  is  more  to  follow. 

"  George  Hilliard  is  to  be  trusted.  I  trust 
both  his  honesty  and  ability.  He  has  a  remark- 
able power  of  influencing  others.  Not  a  man 
at  work  with  him  but  would  follow  wherever 
he  might  lead." 

"  What  of  the  stranger  you  told  me  who  came 


282         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

to  you  acknowledging  he  had  been  so  desperate 
as  to  be  tempted  to  commit  suicide?" 

"  He  is  one  of  the  best  men  we  have,  but  I 
know  no  more  of  his  history  than  he  told  me 
the  first  time  I  saw  him.  I  don't  even  know 
his  name.  He  said  he  wished  to  be  called  Sar- 
gent, and  his  wishes  have  been  regarded.  If 
any  one,  in  speaking  to  him,  prefixes  Mr.,  he 
does  not  reply." 

"  Is  he  a  good  worker  ?  " 

"  He  is  diligent  and  faithful,  but  it  is  plain 
to  be  seen  that  he  is  not  used  to  hard  work. 
Dolf  Turner  has  come  nearer  than  any  one  else 
to  gaining  his  confidence.  Dolf  is  getting  quite 
ambitious,  and  having  some  trouble  with  his 
lessons,  asked  Sargent  to  help  him.  This  Sar- 
gent did,  and  at  the  same  time  made  some  allu- 
sion to  his  own  school  days. 

"  He  sleeps  in  a  chamber  over  the  shed  at 
Mrs.  Turner's,  where  he  spends  all  his  evenings. 
He  never  stays  with  the  family  except  when  he 
is  eating,  but  Dolf  presumed  to  go  to  his  room ; 
so  they  have  become  fast  friends.  He  reads 
everything  that  comes  in  his  way,  and  often 
when  he  hears  some  subject  discussed,  he  be- 
trays his  interest  by  the  expression  of  his  face, 
yet  never  volunteers  a  remark.  When  he  first 
came  I  should  not  have  been  surprised  if  he  had 
left  at  any  time  ;  now  I  regard  him  as  a  fixture." 


Warned.  283 

"  I  wish  he  could  vote.  I  tell  you,  Cousin 
Luke,  I  am  almost  ready  to  buy  votes  for  our 
side.  Stafford  will  control  every  vote  he  can, 
and  do  all  in  his  power  to  prevent  a  new  busi- 
ness being  exempt  from  taxation." 

u  I  understand  Thad  Byarn  will  speak  for 
that,  and  if  there  is  likely  to  be  much  opposi- 
tion, he  will  tell  the  people  some  plain  truths. 
If  it  should  be  a  pleasant  day,  we  shall  have 
such  a  meeting  as  this  town  has  never  seen. 
You  did  a  good  work  in  your  canvass." 

"  I  hope  it  will  prove  so.  If  some  of  the 
voters  do  not  play  me  false,  we  shall  have  a  fair 
majority  on  our  side.  Scully's  saloon  is  to  be 
headquarters  for  the  opposition.  There  will  be 
free  liquor  for  all  who  will  drink,  and  money 
for  men  who  have  votes  to  sell." 

The  next  day  after  the  above  conversation 
between  the  cousins,  Sargent  asked  Mr.  Bren- 
ner for  a  private  interview,  which  being  grant- 
ed, he  said : 

"From  what  I  have  heard,  I  judge  that  at 
your  coming  town  meeting  some  questions  of 
importance  are  to  be  decided,  and  it  is  feared 
that  Scully,  the  saloon-keeper,  will  use  his  in- 
fluence on  the  wrong  side." 

"  All  that  is  true,"  replied  Mr.  Brenner. 

"  You  may  think  me  interfering  with  what 
does  not  concern  me,  sir,  but  I  have  it  iii  my 


284         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

power  to  silence  Scully  so  he  will  not  dare  ex- 
press an  opinion  in  regard  to  the  questions  at 
issue.  I  can  drive  him  from  the  town,  if  that 
is  desired." 

"  How  can  you  do  that  ?  " 

"  By  telling  what  I  know  of  him  and  what 
he  will  not  dare  to  deny.  I  know  enough  to 
send  him  to  prison  for  a  term  of  years.  He  is 
out  now  on  leave,  and  has  done  more  than 
enough  to  forfeit  his  liberty.  It  is  not  strange 
if  you  doubt  the  truth  of  what  I  am  saying,  but 
if  you  or  Mr.  Hilliard  would  go  with  me,  I 
would  demand  an  interview  with  him,  when 
you  could  see  for  yourselves  wrhat  effect  my 
accusations  would  have  on  him.  I  should 
hardly  dare  to  meet  him  alone.  He  would 
hesitate  at  nothing  to  accomplish  his  purpose. 
I  have  never  seen  Mr.  Stafford ;  but  from  what 
I  have  heard  of  him,  I  wonder  at  his  being  in 
any  way  concerned  with  Scully  Brown,  who  is 
not  only  unprincipled  and  unscrupulous,  but 
coarse  and  ignorant." 

"  Is  his  name  Scully  Brown  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir,  but  he  chooses  to  shorten  it.  He 
does  not  do  it,  however,  to  shield  his  family 
from  disgrace,  as  so  many  others  are  doing." 

"  Yourself  among  the  number." 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  I  confess  to  that." 

"  Some  one  may  be  anxious  about  you." 


Warned.  285 

"  Better  anxiety  than  disgrace.  I  have  brought 
myself  to  my  present  condition ;  to  a  worse  con- 
dition than  the  present.  I  have  now — thanks  to 
you — a  chance  to  earn  an  honest  living.  A 
man  like  you  can  never  know  what  such  a 
chance  has  been  to  me.  I  have  done  my  best." 

"  I  believe  you.  You  have  had  my  sympathy 
through  it  all,  and  I  have  wished  I  could  do 
more  for  vou." 

\f 

"  It  has  been  enough  for  me  to  feel  that  I  had 
your  sympathy.  It  has  saved  me  when  I  have 
been  ready  to  despair.  Now  I  wish  to  help 
you,  and  I  have  thought  I  could  do  it  by  silenc- 
ing Scully." 

"  You  can.  Unless  silenced,  he  will  do  all 
he  can  against  us.  If  you  do  not  wish  to  meet 
him,  write  to  him,  and  I  will  see  that  he  receives 
the  message." 

"  That  will  be  a  better  way,  and  I  will  put 
the  letter  into  your  hands  to-morrow  morning." 

This  was  done,  and  before  night  the  saloon- 
keeper read  the  words  of  accusation  and  warn- 
ing, written  in  the  lonely  chamber  where  a  re- 
pentant man  struggled  against  the  appetite 
which  would  drag  him  back  to  sin  and  shame. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

WAS     IT     AN     ACCIDENT? 

"  IT  is  going  to  be  a  hard  fight,  and  we  shall 
need  every  vote  we  can  command,"  said  Staf- 
ford to  the  saloon-keeper.  "  If  Byam  is  allowed 
to  set  up  business  here " 

"  Byam  will  be  allowed  to  do  anything  he 
wants  to,"  responded  Scully,  interrupting  his 
companion.  "  He  has  the  town  at  his  back." 

11  Not  the  whole  of  it." 

"  Enough  to  carry  any  vote  that  will  benefit 
him.  It  is  hard  work  to  fight  him,  and  for  my 
part  I  am  about  ready  to  leave." 

"  Ready  to  leave  !  Your  contract  was  for 
three  years,  arid  I  shall  hold  you  to  it.  It  will 
be  for  your  interest  to  act  on  the  square  with  me. 
I  have  been  fair  with  you,  Scully.  I  knew  what 
you  were  and  what  you  had  to  fear.  You  have 
no  reason  to  complain  that  I  have  played  you 
false  in  anything.  I  put  you  in  a  way  of  earn- 
ing an  honest  living,  when  a  word  from  me 
would  have  sent  you  back  to  your  old  quarters." 

Scully  was  cowed.    Turn  which  way  he  would 

he  was  treading  on  dangerous  ground.     There 

(286) 


Was  it  an  Accident?  287 

was  no  signature  to  the  letter  which  had  re- 
called to  him  so  much  of  his  past  life,  yet  he 
well  knew  who  was  the  writer.  He  cared  no 
more  for  Stafford  than  for  the  man  called  Sar- 
gent ;  but  the  former  had  a  certain  amount  of 
influence  in  some  quarters  which  might  serve 
him  in  time  of  need.  He  was  expected  to  in- 
fluence votes ;  at  the  same  time  he  was  told  that 
his  only  safety  was  in  absolute  silence  on  all 
public  questions.  Small  wronder  then  that  he 
was  tempted  to  commit  a  crime  to  hide  other 
crimes. 

One  night  Sargent  did  not  return  to  his 
boarding-place.  Supper  waited  for  him  in  vain. 
Dolf  Turner  went  several  times  to  his  chamber, 
but  he  was  not  there.  The  next  morning  the 
boy  went  early  to  Mr.  Brenner's  with  the  news. 

"  Sargent  didn't  come  home  last  night,  and 
I've  been  hunting  for  him  ever  so  long  this 
morning.  I  got  up  before  it  was  much  light, 
and  I've  been  all  through  the  woods,  but  I  can't 
find  him  anywhere.  Sometimes  he  sits  down 
on  the  bench  and  gets  to  thinking,  so  he  forgets 
how  late  it  is,  but  I  don't  believe  he  did  that 
last  night." 

"  Perhaps  he  has  gone  away  without  saying 
good-bye,"  responded  Mr.  Brenner. 

"  I  don't  believe  he  has.  When  I  was  up 
in  his  room  evening  before  last,  we  made  lots 


288         Old  Benches  ivith  New  Props. 

of  plans  about  what  we  are  going  to  do  next 
summer.  He  said  he  should  stay  'round  here  as 
long  as  he  could  get  work  to  do,  because  he 
wanted  to  be  with  Christians ;  and,  Mr.  Bren- 
ner, when  a  man  prays  every  night  right  from 
his  heart,  isn't  he  a  Christian  ? " 

"  He  would  not  be  likely  to  pray  every  night 
right  from  his  heart,  unless  he  was  a  Christian." 

"  Sargent  prays  so  every  night.  I  have  heard 
him  lots  of  times,  and  he  always  ends  with  : 
1  Help  me,  Lord,  for  Christ's  sake  ! '  Don't  that 
mean  that  he's  a  Christian  ? " 

"  I  think  it  does,  Dolf." 

"  So  do  I,  Mr.  Brenner,  and  I  want  to  find 
him.  I  tfiust  find  him." 

"  Does  Mr.  Hilliard  know  about  it  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  told  him,  and  he  said  he  would 
look  for  Sargent.  He  told  me  not  to  tell  any- 
body but  you  about  it,  and  I  haven't.  Mother 
knows,  because  she  couldn't  help  it." 

George  Hilliard  was  already  searching  along 
the  bank  of  the  river,  when  Dolf  Turner  bounded 
past  him,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight.  Hurrying 
on,  looking  into  every  clump  of  bushes,  and  peer- 
ing sharply  into  the  water,  he  came  at  last  to 
where  a  bank  of  rock  and  gravel  overhung  the 
river.  Under  that  shelf  he  saw  his  friend  lying 
as  if  dead. 

The  man  could   only  be  reached  by  going 


Was  it  an  Accident?  289 

quite  a  long  distance  further,  and  then  coming 
back  on  so  narrow  a  foothold,  a  single  misstep 
would  plunge  one  into  the  swollen  waters. 

"  Did  you  fall  ?  "  asked  the  boy,  literally  pant- 
ing for  breath,  as  he  stood  by  his  friend.  "  What 
can  I  do  for  you  ?  Can  you  stand  on  your  feet  ? " 

"  I  cannot  help  myself  at  all,"  was  replied. 
"  I  am  chilled  through.  One  leg  is  broken, 
and  I  am  bruised  from  head  to  foot." 

The  suffering  man  could  say  no  more.  He 
had  quite  exhausted  his  strength  in  the  effort 
he  had  made. 

"  I'll  bring  somebody  to  help  you  just  as 
quick  as  I  can,"  said  Dolf ;  and  as  he  afterward 
told  his  mother,  he  ran  faster  than  he  ever  did 
before  in  his  life  until  he  met  Mr.  Hilliard,  who 
sent  him  to  Mr.  Brenner,  who  would  know  what 
to  do. 

It  was  with  great  difficulty  that  Sargent  was 
rescued  from  his  perilous  position ;  and  when 
laid  upon  the  bank  his  sufferings  were  so  intense 
it  seemed  hardly  possible  that  he  could  endure 
being  moved  to  his  boarding-place.  Dr.  Nute 
was  summoned,  who  gave  him  a  restorative, 
and  superintended  his  removal,  which  was  ac- 
complished quickly  and  carefully. 

The  best  room  in  the  cottage  had  been  made 
ready  for  him.  The  fractured  limb  received  at- 
tention, and  his  bruises  were  examined. 


290         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  You  must  have  had  a  hard  fall,"  said  the 
doctor. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  was  replied. 

"  The  wonder  is  that  you  did  not  take  enough 
of  the  bank  with  you  to  bury  you,  or  fall  so 
far  over  as  to  go  into  the  water.  In  either 
event  you  would  have  been  killed,  while  now, 
good  care,  time,  and  patience  will  bring  you  out 
all  right." 

To  these  remarks  Sargent  made  no  response, 
and  soon  after,  under  the  influence  of  an  opiate, 
he  wras  resting  as  comfortably  as  was  possible 
under  the  circumstances. 

"  The  man  will  need  constant  care,"  said  the 
doctor  to  George  Billiard.  "  He  was  so  chilled, 
it  is  impossible  yet  to  tell  how  badly  he  is  hurt. 
Is  it  possible  that  he  was  intoxicated  ? " 

"  It  is  not  possible.  I  saw  him  when  we  quit 
work  last  evening,  and  he  was  all  right.  He 
has  a  habit  of  sometimes  wandering  off  by  him- 
self after  his  day's  work  is  done,  and  he  says  at 
such  times  that  be  does  not  care  for  any  supper." 

"  If  that  was  the  case  with  him  last  evening, 
he  must  have  been  too  much  absorbed  in 
thought  to  notice  where  he  was,  or  he  never 
would  have  gone  so  near  the  edge  of  a  bank 
ready  to  fall  at  any  moment.  He  had  a  narrow 
escape." 

Most  of  the  villagers  knew  every  man  em- 


Was  it  an  Accident?  291 

ployed  on  the  Breimer  place,  and  more  than 
ordinary  interest  had  been  felt  in  Sargent,  who 
had  come  among  them  a  stranger,  and  who  so 
persistently  avoided  all  intercourse  with  any 
one,  except  Dolf  Turner  and  his  fellow-work- 
men ;  intercourse  with  the  latter  being  re- 
stricted to  the  most  commonplace  matters.  Qf 
course,  the  fact  that  he  had  been  found  so  seri- 
ously injured  caused  much  comment ;  some  pro- 
testing that  no  sober  man  could  have  met  with 
such  an  accident. 

"  It  is  a  wonder  he  hadn't  died  where  he 
was,"  remarked  one.  "  He  might  have  shouted 
as  long  as  he  had  strength,  and  the  chances 
would  be  against  anybody  hearing  him ;  but  set 
Dolf  Turner  on  a  hunt,  and  no  matter  what  he 
is  after,  he'll  get  it.  He  is  a  smart  boy,  and 
Tamson  Brenner  will  see  that  he  keeps  on  the 
right  track." 

The  next  report  in  which  the  people  were 
generally  interested  was  that  Scull)  had  been 
seen  walking  hurriedly  down  the  railroad  track, 
carrying  a  large  valise,  and  evidently  wishing 
to  avoid  recognition. 

"  I  hope  he  will  never  come  back.  We  have 
had  enough  of  him,"  was  the  general  expression 
of  relief  at  his  departure,  although  Stafford  could 
not  conceal  his  annoyance  at  the  desertion  of  one 
upon  whom  he  had  counted  as  a  faithful  ally. 


292         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

A  young  man  who  had  sometimes  assisted 
Scully,  kept  the  saloon  open  during  the  day  and 
evening,  but  he  had  no  authority  for  doing  so. 

"  Now  Stafford  must  show  his  hand,"  said 
Jacob  Hill,  who  was  frequently  in  the  village, 
looking  after  various  interests  in  which  he  was 
concerned.  "  Either  he  must  come  forward  as 
the  real  proprietor,  or  the  saloon  must  be  closed. 
We  shall  see  which  will  be  done." 

For  two  days  the  saloon  remained  closed; 
after  which  it  was  opened  by  a  stranger,  who 
stood  in  the  doorway  waiting  for  customers, 
when  Thad  Byam  saw  him  and  exclaimed : 

"  Grimes,  you  here !  What  are  you  about  in 
that  hole?  Come  out  of  there.  Where  are 
your  wife  and  children  ?  How  came  you  in 
such  a  place  ?  Come  out  into  the  free  air.  I 
want  to  talk  with  you." 

The  man  obeyed,  without  answering  one  of  the 
questions  thus  hurled  at  him,  and  when  fairly 
away  from  the  saloon,  his  companion  asked : 

"  Who  hired  you  to  come  here  ? " 

"  Stafford,"  was  the  quick  reply. 

"  And  you  would  stoop  so  low  as  to  sell  beer 
and  whiskey,  when  you  could  earn  a  good 
living  for  your  family  by  doing  honorable 
work.  Leave  that  saloon  and  I  will  find  work 
for  yon.  We  are  fighting  beer  and  whiskey 
with  all  our  might  here,  and  we  want  your  help. 


Was  it  an  Accident?  293 

"Tell  me  about  Will,  the  brightest  little  fel- 
low I  know  ;  aiid  Ruth,  the  dear  little  girl,  any 
man  might  be  proud  to  call  his  daughter.  They 
deserve  to  be  loved  and  cared  for  by  somebody 
better  than  a  rumseller.  Why,  Grimes,  you 
must  be  crazy  to  think  of  going  into  that  saloon. 
Tell  me  about  it.  Have  you  taken  to  drinking 
again  ? " 

"  Not  a  drop,  Byam.  I  haven't  broken  my 
pledge,  and  I  don't  mean  to." 

"  Do  you  expect  you  can  measure  out  liquor 
and  see  other  men  drink  it,  and  not  drink  it 
yourself?  Why,  man,  you  can't  do  it.  But 
how  came  you  here,  an y way  ?  There  must  be 
something  wrong  somewhere.  Tell  me  what  it 
is!" 

"  There  was  a  strike,  and  I  had  to  come  out 
with  the  rest.  I  didn't  want  to,  but  there  was 
no  help  for  it." 

"  No  help  for  it !  Don't  you  own  yourself  ? 
Haven't  you  a  right  to  earn  your  living  ? " 

"  But,  Byam- 

u  I  know  all  about  it,  and  I  wonder  any  sens- 
ible man  can  tolerate  such  tyranny.  I  had 
only  my  head  and  my  hands  when  I  started, 
and  I  kept  them  for  my  own  use.  I  didn't  hold 
out  my  hands  for  somebody  to  bind  and  hold 
at  his  pleasure.  But  you  haven't  told  me  yet 
why  you  came  here." 


294         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

"  I  came  because  it  was  the  only  opening  for 
me.  Of  course  I  shouldn't  be  allowed  to  work 
at  my  trade  except  under  certain  restrictions, 
and  I  must  do  something." 

"  Did  your  wife  know  what  your  business 
would  be  here  ? " 

"  No ;  I  didn't  tell  her.  It  might  have  made 
her  feel  bad." 

"  Well,  now,  decide.  I  will  give  you  work 
at  your  trade,  and  pay  you  the  same  wages  you 
have  been  receiving,  if  you  will  promise  me  that 
the  bargain  shall  be  between  you  and  me  alone. 
Stafford  and  I  are  working  against  each  other, 
and  I  intend  to  win." 

"  If  you  don't,  it  will  be  the  first  time  you 
didn't  carry  your  point.  I'll  swear  off  from 
Stafford  and  work  for  you." 

"  All  right ;  but  remember  there  can  be  no  go- 
betweens.  One  master  is  enough  for  any  man." 

At  that  moment  Stafford  appeared,  and  was 
informed  by  Grimes  of  the  change  in  his  plans. 

"  I  suppose  I  may  thank  you  for  this,"  said 
the  brewer,  turning  to  Thad  Byam. 

"  I  don't  care  for  thanks,  but  I  do  care  for 
the  assurance  I  have  just  received  that  Clyde 
Stafford  is  the  owner  of  the  only  liquor-saloon 
in  town,"  was  the  cool  reply.  "  It  has  been 
often  denied,  but  further  denial  will  be  useless. 
Come,  Grimes,  let  us  be  going." 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

A   TOWN   MEETING. 

IT  was  a  busy  winter,  yet  among  the  workers 
there  was  an  eager  expectancy  of  something 
better  in  the  near  future.  The  saloon  was  do- 
ing its  work  under  certain  restrictions  imposed 
by  public  sentiment,  but  it  was  hoped  that  in 
the  spring  a  stronger  public  sentiment  would 
develop  more  active  opposition.  In  fact,  every- 
body was  looking  forward  to  "  town  meeting  " 
as  a  crisis  in  affairs  ;  and  when  at  last  came  the 
appointed  day,  with  weather  all  which  could  be 
desired,  every  voter  able  to  stand  upon  his  feet 
was  out.  The  expected  speech  was  made  ;  the 
vote  was  passed,  and  all  business  carried  on  by 
Thaddeus  By  am  &  Co.  was  exempted  from 
taxation  for  ten  years.  When  this  vote  was 
declared  a  grand  cheer  attested  the  favor  with 
which  it  was  received. 

On  that  day  the  temperance  women  of  the 
town  provided  lunch  at  a  merely  nominal  price 
for  all  who  were  disposed  to  patronize  them. 
There  was,  therefore,  no  ex.cuse  for  going  to  the 
saloon,  whose  doors  stood  invitingly  open.  Beer 

(295) 


296         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

was  on  tap  for  the  thirsty  free  as  water  from  the 
spring,  but  the  result  was  not  what  had  been 
anticipated. 

"  The  town  is  coming  to  its  senses,"  said 
Jacob  Hill.  "  This  day's  work  will  tell.  Thad 
will  show  us  what  he  can  do,  and  I  believe  he 
has  been  raised  up  for  the  express  purpose  of 
holding  Stafford  in  check.  Some  of  Stafford's 
own  men  voted  against  him.  He  is  going  to 
make  money.  There  can't  anybody  prevent 
that,  but  he  can't  run  the  town  just  to  suit 
himself." 

As  there  had  been  two  parties,  so  now  there 
were  those  who  deplored  such  a  state  of  things, 
and,  forgetting  how  the  vote  for  the  brewery 
had  been  carried,  condemned  the  action  which 
had  given  so  much  to  one  man. 

But  whatever  might  be  said,  it  was  soon 
proved  that  many  were  to  be  benefited.  Work 
began  at  once.  A  large  building  was  to  be 
erected  as  a  workshop  which  would  employ  a 
hundred  men.  Houses  were  to  be  built  for 
these  men,  and,  in  fact,  plans  were  already  made 
which,  if  carried  out,  would  give  the  town  an- 
other and  larger  village  than  that  which  had 
so  long  been  the  centre  of  its  small  trade. 

There  was  work  for  everybody  willing  to  be 
employed,  and  a  demand  for  lumber  requiring 
increased  facilities  for  its  preparation. 


A    Town  Meeting.  297 

Mrs.  Byam  regarded  her  grandson  with  un- 
disguised astonishment.  She  "  could  not  un- 
derstand how  Thad  could  carry  so  much  in  his 
head  without  getting  things  all  mixed  up." 
She  was  never  tired  of  talking  about  him  and 
praising  him  for  his  kindness  to  her ;  "  a  poor 
old  woman  some  folks  would  be  ashamed  of." 

"  Rushing  as  usual,"  remarked  George  Hil- 
liard  to  Thaddeus  Byam,  as  they  met  one  even- 
ing in  the  early  summer. 

"  The  world  is  rushing,  and  who  would  suc- 
ceed must  rush  with  it,"  was  replied.  "  When 
I  was  living  in  a  garret,  and  often  satisfying 
my  hunger  with  bread  and  water,  I  thought  of 
outdoor  work  as  mere  play.  Now  things  are 
moving  along  at  our  corner  about  fast  enough 
to  suit  me.  We  could  set  a  few  more  men  of 
the  right  sort  to  work,  and  I  expect  they  will 
make  their  appearance  before  long.  We  have 
only  sober  men." 

"  You  are  running  an  opposition  to  the  saloon." 

"  Yes  ;  we  are  trying  to  do  that.  Our  room 
is  unfinished,  and  not  so  well  lighted  as  we 
would  like,  but  it  is  clean  and  whole.  Our 
tables  are  made  of  pine  boards  planed  and 
matched,  but  they  are  covered  with  papers  and 
magazines  for  all  who  care  to  read.  Then  we 
have  tables  for  games,  and  every  evening  we 
have  some  general  entertainment — speaking, 


298         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

singing,  or  playing.  We  have  some  good 
singers  and  players.  Last  evening  we  contrib- 
uted all  'round,  and  tad  a  little  treat  of  lemon- 
ade and  cakes.  That  would  look  childish  to 
some  people,  but  we  enjoyed  it.  We  are  about 
organizing  a  debating  club,  and  promise  our- 
selves both  amusement  and  improvement." 

"  You  have  a  good-looking  set  of  men." 

"  Most  men  will  look  well  enough  if  they 
keep  themselves  morally  and  physically  clean. 
A  kind  heart,  clear  conscience,  and  a  cheerful 
disposition  will  make  almost  any  face  attractive." 

"  You  are  right  about  that,  Byam.  It  is 
astonishing,  too,  how  quickly  a  change  in  one's 
life  for  the  better  will  improve  a  face  that  has 
become  coarse  and  besotted.  There  is  Sargent. 
I  have  been  watching  him  ever  since  he  came 
among  us,  and  it  has  seemed  to  me  his  face 
was  going  back  to  what  it  was  originally.  Now, 
after  his  long  confinement  it  is  clear-cut  and 
delicate. 

"  I  wish  he  would  give  me  his  confidence,  so 
that  I  could  communicate  with  his  friends,  but 
his  lips  are  as  tightly  closed  as  ever  when  any 
allusion  is  made  to  his  past  life.  He  is  anxious 
to  be  at  work,  and  yesterday  he  asked  me  if 
I  thought  you  could  give  him  some  light  em- 
ployment by  which  he  could  earn  enough  to 
pay  his  board,  and  perhaps  save  a  little  toward 


A    Town  Meeting.  299 

paying  his  debts.  He  says  he  wishes  to  stay 
here  in  town,  and  I  hope  be  can.  We  have 
given  him  what  work  we  could  through  the 
winter,  such  as  he  could  do  in-doors,  but  now 
he  is  stronger." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  that.  There  are  all  kinds 
of  work  to  be  done  at  our  corner,  and  it  would 
be  strange  if  we  couldn't  find  a  place  for  him. 
I  will  see  him  in  a  few  days  and  see  what  can 
be  done  for  him." 

"  A  man  terribly  out  of  place,"  was  Thaddeus 
Byam's  decision  as  he  talked  with  Sargent,  be- 
coming more  and  more  interested  as  their  ac- 
quaintance progressed. 

Not  long  after  Sargent  was  seen  among  the 
workmen  at  Byam's  Corner,  quick  to  learn  what 
was  required  of  him,  and  impressing  his  com- 
panions favorably.  At  first  he  did  not  enter 
the  club-room ;  but  having  been  persuaded  on 
one  occasion  to  do  so,  he  seemed  for  the  time  to 
forget  himself,  and  joined  in  the  singing.  Then 
he  was  asked  to  sing  alone,  which  he  did,  while 
those  about  him  listened  spellbound,  and  his 
own  eyes  filled  with  tears.  The  moment  he 
ceased  singing  he  rushed  from  the  room,  and 
was  not  seen  again  until  morning,  when  he  was 
silent  as  usual.  There  was  little  talking  by  any 
through  the  day.  Every  energy  was  bent  to 
the  accomplishment  of  the  work  in  hand.  Build- 


300         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

ings  rose  as  if  by  magic.  Extra  wages  were 
paid  for  work  over-time.  Dwelling-houses  were 
occupied  as  soon  as  they  provided  shelter  from 
the  weather,  while  one  room  after  another  was 
finished,  so  offering  constantly  improved  accom- 
modations. 

There  was  hurry  and  bustle.  Orders  were 
given  promptly  and  as  promptly  obeyed.  A 
new  impetus  was  given  to  business,  which  was 
felt  to  the  most  remote  corner  of  the  town. 
There  was  a  demand  for  farm  products  of  all 
kinds,  so  that  the  poorest  might  avail  them- 
selves of  this  market. 

Byam's  Corner,  as  it  was  already  called,  was 
the  best  site  for  business  within  a  radius  of  five 
miles.  It  was  the  very  spot  Stafford  had  chosen 
for  his  brewery,  but  the  owners  of  the  land  re- 
fused to  sell  to  him. 

At  a  little  distance,  on  a  moderate  elevation, 
was  a  large,  old-fashioned  house,  which,  with 
the  grounds  around  it,  the  brewer  had  also 
vainly  coveted.  For  several  years  this  house 
had  been  open  during  the  summer  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  transient  guests,  as  well  as  for  those 
who  desired  to  spend  some  weeks  in  so  pleasant 
a  home.  This  house  now  furnished  accommo- 
dations for  those  who  were  superintending  the 
work  which  every  day  developed  larger  propor- 
tions. 


A    Town  Meeting.  301 

"  Thad,  when  and  where  do  you  propose  to 
stop  ? "  asked  Jacob  Hill  as  he  surveyed  the 
busy  scene. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,"  was  replied.  "  When 
we  began  I  thought  I  knew  all  about  it ;  but 
something  new  keeps  turning  up,  until  noV  I 
am  waiting  to  see  what  will  come  next.  I  wish 
we  could  buy  the  Crockett  place,  but  Mrs. 
Crockett  is  too  wise  to  sell." 

"  Then  you  think  she  is  wise  to  keep  the 
place." 

"  Certainly  I  do.  In  ten  years  somebody  will 
be  willing  to  give  her  twice  as  much  for  it  as 
we  could  afford  to  pay  now.  Property  is  going 
up  in  this  part  of  the  town.  The  men  who 
have  started  with  us  are  going  to  stay,  and  we 
shall  have  some  fine  houses  to  show  as  the  re- 
sult of  our  prosperity." 

"  You  have  no  doubt  that  you  will  be  pros- 
pered." 

"  Not  a  doubt,  Mr.  Hill.  We  know  what  we 
propose  to  do,  and  we  are  sure  that  we  know 
how  to  do  it." 

"Your  invention  comes  in  play  here." 

"  Yes,  sir,  it  does,  and  it  will  count  large  for 


me." 


"Tim  Durrell  is  one  of  your  foremen." 
"  Yes,  sir,  and  for  the  place  he  fills  we  could 
not  have  a  better  man,     He  is  honest  and  faith' 


302        Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

ful,  ready  to  obey  orders,  and  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  the  company.  I  could  hardly  spare 
him." 

"  You  have  made  him  what  he  is.  How  about 
the  other  two  ? " 

"  There  is  not  much  encouraging  about  them. 
Stafford  seems  to  have  them  completely  under 
control.  I  suppose  you  know  they  voted 
against  us." 

"  I  knew  they  did,  and  I  heard  they  were  paid 
for  it." 

"  I  heard  they  were  paid  in  beer,  but  judging 
from  their  appearance  that  evening,  I  think  they 
must  have  had  something  stronger  than  beer. 
Tim  has  tried  to  influence  them,  but  he  soon 
found  it  was  of  no  use.  They  threatened  to  pour 
some  whiskey  down  his  throat,  and  said  if  Scully 
was  in  the  saloon  they  would  soon  settle  him. 

"  Stafford  would  like  nothing  better  than  to 
get  some  of  our  men  into  his  saloon.  If  such  a 
thing  should  happen  I  should  go  there  after 
them,  and  I  should  take  them  away,  even  if 
Stafford  was  there  himself." 

"  You  would  not  be  likely  to  find  him  there." 

"  Perhaps  not,  although  now  that  he  has  vir- 
tually acknowledged  himself  to  be  the  pro- 
prietor, he  will  be  less  careful  about  being  seen 
there.  I  took  Grimes  away  from  him,  and  he 
has  an  added  grudge  against  me  for  that,1' 


A    Town  Meeting.  303 

"1  heard  about  that  Is  Grimes  at  work  for 
you  ? " 

"  Yes ;  and  his  wife  and  children  are  here. 
He  is  a  good-hearted  man,  as  the  world  goes ; 
but  he  is  easily  discouraged,  and  doesn't  always 
stand  up  for  what  he  knows  to  be  right." 

"  There  is  Sargent.  It  was  always  a  mystery 
to  me  how  he  could  tumble  off  the  bank  as  he 
did." 

"  It  is  no  mystery  to  me,  Mr.  Hill.  I  never 
asked  Sargent  about  it,  and  I  don't  suppose  he 
would  tell  me  if  I  did,  but  I  have  my  own 
opinion." 

"  Scully  left  the  day  he  was  found." 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  he  left  in  a  hurry." 

"  That  was  one  of  the  strange  things  that 
have  happened  in  town.  I  suppose  you  are  in- 
terested in  Mr.  Anslow's  protege." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  we  are  expecting  him  here  soon. 
He  is  anxious  to  be  at  work,  and  his  health  is 
so  much  improved,  Mr.  Anslow  thinks  it  may 
be  as  well  for  him." 

"  He  has  worked  with  Mr.  Hilliard." 

"  He  did  no  hard  work.  Mr.  Anslow  fur- 
nished money  to  pay  his  wages,  so  that  he  might 
feel  he  was  earning  something." 

"  Mr.  Anslow  is  a  rare  man.  People  are  just 
beginning  to  appreciate  him  and  his  sister. 
Wife  and  I  made  them  a  visit,  not  a  great  while 


304         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

ago,  and  we  found  them  different  from  what  we 
expected.  We  went  over  to  the  old  Joyce 
house,  too,  and  saw  Mr.  Haver  and  his  chil- 
dren. They  seem  to  be  doing  well." 

"  They  are,  thanks  to  Mr.  Anslow  and  Miss 
Anslow." 

"  Well,  Thad,  you'll  think  I'm  putting  you 
through  quite  a  catechism ;  but  I  want  to  know 
a  little  more  about  the  man  you  call  Sargent. 
Is  he  a  good  deal  above  the  work  he  is  doing 
here?" 

"  We  are  doing  honest  work,  Mr.  Hill,  and 
honest  work  degrades  no  one,  but  I  feel  sure 
that  Sargent  has  had  a  different  training  from 
the  rest  of  us,  although  he  is  careful  not  to  dis- 
play his  acquirements.  Sometime  there  will  be 
a  revelation  in  regard  to  him." 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

EGBERT    TREVANION. 

"FATHER!     Father!" 

The  door  was  thrown  open  and  a  handsome, 
well-dressed  lad  bounded  into  the  club-room. 
Every  eye  was  fixed  upon  the  intrude!*,  as  he 
made  his  way  straight  to  Sargent,  who  a  mo- 
ment before  had  been  singing,  but  was  now 
silent  and  deathly  pale. 

"  Oh,  father,  I  have  found  you  at  last,  and  I 
shall  never  let  you  go  away  from  me  again. 
Speak  to  me,  father.  Speak  to  your  Rob." 

Still  the  man  remained  silent  and  motionless, 
as  if  suddenly  smitten  with  paralysis.  Not 
even  when  the  boy's  arms  were  around  his  neck 
and  warm  kisses  were  pressed  upon  his  lips,  did 
he  give  any  sign  that  he  had  heard  the  appeal. 

"  Sargent,  what  does  this  mean  ?  "  asked  one 
of  his  companions. 

"Why  do  you  call  my  father  Sargent?"  ex- 
claimed the  boy.  "  His  name  is  Mr.  Robert 
Trevanion." 

This  name  broke  the  spell,  and  clasping  his 
boy  to  his  heart,  he  wept  as  only  strong  men 
can  weep. 

"  Don't  cry,  father.  Don't  cry.  Mother  and 

(305) 


306         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

Sue  are  at  the  hotel,  and  I  know  they  will  be 
glad  to  see  you.  Grandfather  is  coming  to- 
morrow ;  but  I  shall  stay  with  you,  no  matter 
what  he  says.  I  am  going  to  do  just  as  you  tell 


me." 


Then  the  father  found  his  voice  and  said : 

"  Rob,  my  boy,  will  you  go  outside  and  leave 
me  here  for  five  minutes  ?  I  will  come  to  you 
in  five  minutes." 

"Sure,  father?" 

"  Sure,  my  son." 

The  boy  took  out  an  elegant  gold  watch, 
looked  carefully  at  the  time,  and  then,  without 
another  word,  left  the  room. 

"Gentlemen,  friends,  for  such  I  regard  you, 
I  did  not  intend  to  make  to  you  the  confession 
now  forced  upon  me.  My  name  is  Robert  Tre- 
vanion.  The  boy  who  claimed  me  as  his  father 
is  my  son.  His  mother  is  my  wife.  I  became 
a  drunkard.  I  spent  my  fortune,  and  then  I 
abandoned  my  family  to  save  them  from  further 
disgrace.  If  I  was  away,  my  children  and  my 
wife  would  find  a  luxurious  home  with  her 
father. 

"  I  came  to  this  town,  destitute  and  desperate. 
How  I  have  lived  since  then  I  think  you  know, 
but  only  God  knows  what  it  has  cost  me  to  live 
as  I  have.  I  thank  you  for  your  kindness." 

Short  and  concise  was  this  explanation,  and 


Robert   Trevanion.  307 

before  five  minutes  had  expired,  he  was  with 
his  son,  who  said  quickly : 

"  Now  come  to  mother." 

"  I  cannot  go  to  your  mother.  She  would 
not  wish  to  see  me.  You  cannot  understand, 
my  boy,  but— 

"  I  do  understand,  father.  I  know  what  made 
you  go  away  and  leave  us.  I  kept  asking  mo- 
ther, and  she  told  me.  You  drank  too  much 
wine  and  brandy,  and  spent  all  your  money, 
so  you  didn't  take  care  of  us.  But  you  are 
good  now.  I  know  you  are,  and  if  you  won't 
come  with  me,  I  shall  go  alone  and  tell  mother 
I  have  found  you.  I  heard  you  singing,  and  I 
knew  there  wasn't  anybody  else  could  sing  so. 
Won't  you  come  to  mother  ? " 

"  No,  Rob,  it  would  not  be  best,  and  perhaps 
it  would  be  better  not  to  tell  her  that  you  have 


seen  me." 


"  I  can't  help  telling  her,  father,  because  I  am 
going  to  stay  with  you.  A  boy  belongs  with 
his  father,  if  his  father  is  good.  I  think  girls 
belong  with  their  fathers,  too." 

Thad  Byam,  who  had  not  been  in  the  club- 
room  while  the  strange  disclosure  was  made, 
now  came  up  when  the  man  he  had  known  as 
Sargent  said  in  a  husky  voice : 

"  Mr.  Byam,  allow  me  to  introduce  to  you  my 
son,  Rob  Trevanion." 


308         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

The  introduction  was  acknowledged,  and  the 
boy  cordially  recognized.  Then  turning  to  the 
father  with : 

"  And  you  ?  " 

"  I  am  Robert  Trevanion,  at  your  service," 
was  replied. 

"  I  am  happy  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
Mr.  Trevanion." 

"  I  did  not  expect  to  answer  to  that  name 
again.  I  thought  I  was  safe  from  recognition 
by  any  one  who  had  known  me  before  I  became 
Sargent,  but  my  son  found  me  and  I  could  not 
disown  him.  You  have  treated  me  generously, 
Mr.  Byam,  and  I  thank  you  for  it.  I  cannot 
tell  what  is  before  me,  but  wherever  I  am,  I 
shall  remember  with  the  deepest  gratitude  those 
who  befriended  me  in  my  hour  of  greatest 
need." 

The  two  men  talked  together  until,  judging 
best  to  leave  his  companion  alone,  the  younger 
said  with  a  hearty  hand-clasp,  "  You  have  my 
best  wishes,"  and  entered  the  club-room,  where 
was  a  low  murmur  of  conversation. 

"  If  the  lady  who  came  to  the  hotel  this  after- 
noon is  Sargent's  wife,  he  must  have  been  used 
to  a  very  different  life  from  what  he  has  lived 
since  he  came  here,"  remarked  one.  "  She  is  a 
splendid-looking  woman,  richly  dressed,  and 
with  the  air  of  fine  breeding  in  every  motion. 


Robert  Trevanion.  309 

Of  course,  I  only  saw  her  on  the  veranda  with 
her  children,  but  it  needs  only  a  glance  to  judge 
of  such  a  woman." 

At  that  moment  the  woman  thus  described 
was  pacing  her  room  and  wringing  her  hands, 
while  her  boy  endeavored  to  keep  step  with 
her,  as  he  entreated  her  to  see  his  father ;  clos- 
ing each  appeal  with  the  assertion : 

"  I  am  going  to  stay  with  him,  and  I  don't 
mean  ever  to  leave  him  again." 

"  Tell  him  to  come.  I  will  see  him,"  she  said 
at  last,  when  unable  longer  to  resist  the  plead- 
ings which  had  so  moved  her. 

Quick  to  deliver  the  message,  the  boy  sped 
down  the  hill,  and  taking  his  father's  hand, 
walked  to  the  hotel  without  speaking. 

Such  a  meeting !  A  man  coarsely  clad,  who 
for  three  years  had  been  dead  to  his  family ; 
who  had  gone  down  into  the  lowest  depths,  and 
endured  such  privations  as  he  shuddered  to  re- 
call. This  man  stood  in  the  presence  of  a  hand- 
some, elegantly-dressed  woman,  whom  in  hap- 
pier days  he  had  wooed  for  his  wife  and  brought 
to  his  home  of  luxury  and  ease.  He  stood  be- 
fore her  now  without  uttering  a  word,  or  so 
much  as  raising  his  eyes  to  her  face. 

At  last  she  broke  the  silence. 

"  Robert." 

"  Mildred." 


310         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

There  was  another  silence,  broken  again  by 
the  woman. 

"  Robert,  have  you  nothing  to  say  to  me  ? " 

"  What  can  I  say  2  "  he  responded.  "  I  am 
not  worthy  to  speak  to  you.  I  might  ask  your 
forgiveness  for  the  disgrace  I  have  brought  upon 
you  and  your  children,  but — 

"They  are  your  children  too,  Robert, and  yet 
you  will  not  even  look  at  me." 

"  Look  at  you  !  I  dare  not.  Don't  tempt  me 
too  far,  or  I  shall  forget— 

"  Forget  that  you  once  loved  me,  Robert  ? " 

"  Once  loved  you  !  I  love  you  now,  and  be- 
cause I  love  you,  1  must  leave  you." 

"  Leave  me  !  I  cannot,  will  not  live  with  a 
drunkard.  I  loathe  the  very  sight  and  smell  of 
all  liquors;  but  give  them  up,  and  I  will  go 
with  you  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  Anywhere, 
Robert,  if  you  will  only  love  me,  and— 

For  answer  to  this  he  caught  her  in  his  arms, 
raining  kisses  upon  her  face  until  he  could  bet- 
ter control  himself.  Then,  leading  her  to  a  seat, 
while  his  arms  still  encircled  her,  he  said : 

"  Not  a  drop  of  alcoholic  liquor  has  passed 
my  lips  for  a  year,  and  I  would  sooner  die  than 
taste  it ;  but  I  am  a  poor  man,  and  you  are  not 
used  to  poverty.  I  have  found  friends  who 
have  helped  me,  but  I  have  worked  like  any 
laborer.  You  could  not  live  as  I  must.  It 


Robert   Trevanion.  3 1 1 

would  be  a  sin  to  take  you  from  your  father's 
house  to  such  a  home  as  I  could  give  you." 

"  It  would  be  a  greater  sin  for  you  to  leave 
me  again.  I  could  not  bear  it.  I  trust  you  ;  I 
love  you,  my  husband." 

These  last  words  were  whispered,  but  they 
reached  the  heart  of  the  listener,'  whose  every 
pulse  thrilled  with  new  hope  and  happiness. 

All  unconscious  of  the  lapse  of  time,  until 
the  children,  who  had  become  impatient  at  their 
long  banishment,  rapped  on  the  door  of  the 
room,  asking  for  admittance. 

"  Come  in,"  said  their  mother,  and  there  was 
a  family  reunion  such  as  is  seldom  seen. 

Later,  they  separated ;  Robert  Trevanion  go- 
ing to  his  boarding-place,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing appearing  among  the  workmen,  who  could 
not  but  regard  him  curiously.  Rob  came  to 
him  early  and  remained  until  noon,  seeming 
content  only  to  watch  him  at  his  work. 

Mr.  Esterbrook,  Mrs.  Trevanion's  father,  ar- 
rived at  the  hotel  in  the  afternoon,  when  there 
ensued  a  stormy  scene  between  himself  and  his 
daughter,  who  informed  him  that  she  had  seen 
her  husband,  and  they  had  become  reconciled 
to  each  other. 

"  He  knows  that  you  have  money  and  hopes 
you  will  be  ready  to  support  him  in  idleness," 
said  the  angry  father.  "  It  was  an  insult  for 


312         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

him  to  ask  you  to  live  with  him  again  as  his 
wife." 

"  He  did  not  ask  me.  I  believe  he  has  re- 
formed. He  told  me  that  he  was  trying  to  lead 
a  Christian  life,  and  I  believe  him.  In  his 
worst  days  he  never  told  me  a  falsehood  when 
he  was  sober.  He  would  not  do  it  now.  I 
offered  to  live  with  him.  He  thinks  so  badly 
of  himself  he  would  not  have  asked  me,  but  if 
he  will  take  me  I  shall  go  with  him.  He  does 
not  know  that  I  have  money.  He  thinks  me 
dependent  upon  you." 

"  What  if  I  find,  upon  inquiry,  that  he  is  still 
a  drunkard  and  unworthy  of  confidence  ? " 

"  Then  I  will  go  with  you,  father,  and  never 
see  him  again.  I  will  not  see  him,  either,  until 
you  are  satisfied  about  him." 

"  It  will  take  time  to  make  all  the  inquiries 
I  wish." 

"  That  does  not  matter.  I  have  waited  three 
years.  What  signify  a  few  hours  or  days  now  ? 
Eob  protests  that,  come  what  will,  he  shall  stay 
with  his  father." 

"  We  will  see,"  said  Mr.  Esterbrook,  and 
went  out  with  the  avowed  purpose  to  investi- 
gate the  character  of  his  son-in-law. 

He  returned  presently,  but  he  did  not  see  his 
daughter  until  they  met  at  the  supper-table, 
when  neither  made  any  allusion  to  the  subject 


Robert   Trevanton.  313 

in  which  both  were  so  deeply  interested.  At 
length,  however,  the  gentleman  asked : 

"  Where  is  Rob  ?  " 

"  With  his  father,"  was  replied. 

Later,  Mr.  Esterbrook  said  to  his  daughter : 

"  I  decided  not  to  make  any  inquiries  in  re- 
gard to  your  husband.  It  would  be  beneath 
me  to  do  it.  You  must  choose  for  yourself; 
only  if  you  choose  to  remain  with  Robert  Tre- 
vanion,  you  must  not  expect  me  again  to  offer 
you  a  home  when  he  deserts  you." 

"  I  choose  to  remain  with  my  husband  and 
abide  the  consequences,"  replied  Mrs.  Trevan- 
ion.  "  I  owe  you  much,  father.  I  love  you, 
and  I  shall  never  cease  to  be  grateful  for  your 
kindness,  but  I  must  go  with  my  husband.  He 
has  the  stronger  claim  upon  me." 

"  Then  go  to  him,"  responded  the  proud  man. 
"  Gro  to  him,  but  do  not  expect  me  to  acknowl- 
edge him." 


CHAPTER   XXXV. 

TEN   TEAKS. 

A  BASKET  picnic  in  the  new  workshop  at 
Byam's  Corner,  with  everybody  invited  ;  and  it 
really  seemed  that  everybody  except  the  brewer 
and  his  especial  friends  accepted  the  invitation. 
They  sneeringly  called  it  a  temperance  meet- 
ing, and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  meeting  before  or 
since  that  time  did  more  to  strengthen  and  en- 
courage the  temperance  sentiment  of  the  town. 

The  dinner,  to  which  every  basket  contribu- 
ted, was  bountiful  in  quantity  and  perfect  in 
quality.  After  dinner,  there  were  short  speeches 
and  singing;  singing  of  the  grand  old  hymns, 
in  which  the  oldest  could  join ;  so  renewing 
their  youth,  and  bringing  tears  to  eyes  long 
unused  to  weep. 

The  prayer  by  Rev.  Mr.  Dunning,  preceding 
the  dinner,  and  the  benediction  pronounced 
by  him  as  the  company  was  about  to  separate, 
was  a  happy  reminder  of  their  dependence  upon 
an  Almighty  power. 

"  I  wish  it  wa'n't  too  late  for  me  to  come  in 
with  the  rest,"  said  old  Jerry  Lyford,  who,  with 
his  wife  and  granddaughter,  had  been  brought 


Ten   Years.  3 1 5 

to  the  picnic.  "  I'm  glad  I  come.  It's  done  me 
good  to  see  how  the  young  folks  are  coming  on, 
but  it's  too  late  for  me.  Warren's  going  to  be 
different  from  the  rest  of  the  Lytbrds,  and  I 
thank  God  for  it.  We  shouldn't  come  to-day, 
anyway,  if  he  hadn't  said  so  much  about  it  the 
last  time  he  was  up  home.  We  old  folks  are 
like- 

"  Like  old  benches  needing  new  props,"  said 
Mr.  Brenner,  who  would  never  forget  the  les- 
son he  had  learned  under  the  lindens ;  and  who 
now  interrupted  his  companion,  that  he  might 
give  a  more  cheerful  tone  to  the  conversation. 
"  Now  we  have  the  props,  we  can  stand  firm 
again." 

"  You  can,  Mr.  Brenner,  but  I  am  too  shaky 
to  stand  firm,  props  or  no  props.  I  voted  for 
this  business,  'though  I  was  offered  money  to 
vote  on  the  other  side.  I'm  glad  I  did." 

"  So  am  I,  Mr.  Lyford.  Every  vote  cast  for 
this  business  was  a  vote  for  the  best  interests 
of  the  town,  and  for  the  benefit  of  every  person 
in  it." 

u  I  guess  you're  right  there,  Mr.  Brenner. 
Wife  and  I  expect  to  be  a  good  deal  better  off 
next  winter  than  we  have  been  before  for  years. 
You  see  we've  raised  something  to  sell,  and  the 
money'll  be  spent  for  something  that's  really 
needed  in  the  house." 


316         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

Mr.  Lyford  had  improved,  notwithstanding 
his  repeated  assertion  that  it  was  too  late  for 
him  to  change.  Others,  too,  who  would  not 
have  acknowledged  it,  were  yielding  to  the  in- 
fluence prompting  them  to  better  living. 

Moving  around  among  the  people  who  had 
gathered  on  this  festive  occasion,  some  whom  he 
had  long  known,  and  some  whose  acquaintance 
he  made  for  the  first  time,  Mr.  Brenner  had  a 
pleasant  word  for  each  and  all.  Mrs.  Brenner 
and  her  daughter  were  present,  winning  for 
themselves  a  host  of  friends,  and  contributing 
largely  to  the  success  of  the  day.  It  was  a 
general  holiday  for  many  who  seldom  escaped 
from  the  dull  routine  of  a  too  prosaic  life. 

"  Now  for  work,"  was  Thad  Byam's  ringing 
call  the  next  morning,  and  every  man  responded 
with  a  will.  Machinery  was  put  in  place  by 
skillful  hands,  and  it  was  not  long  before  every- 
thing was  in  good  working  order ;  yet  more  was 
planned  for  another  year. 

The  club-room  was  finished,  and  arrange- 
ments perfected  for  proper  heating  and  light- 
ing. Upon  the  table  was  a  greater  variety  of 
literature;  several  new  publications  being  a 
gift  from  Robert  Trevanion,  who,  although  far 
away,  thus  proved  his  grateful  remembrance  of 
kindness  received.  Over  the  door  opening  into 
the  club-room  were  the  words:  u Welcome  to 


Ten   Years.  3 1 7 

all.  Come  in ";  and  many  who  but  for  this 
would  have  felt  their  presence  an  intrusion, 
availed  themselves  of  the  privilege. 

"  It  is  like  going  from  midnight  darkness 
into  the  brightest  daylight,  to  go  from  Staf- 
ford's saloon  into  the  club-room  at  Byam's 
Corner,"  said  a  young  man  who  spoke  from  ex- 
perience. "  One  place  is  foul  with  all  manner 
of  uncleanness,  while  the  other  is  sweet  and 
clean.  One  drags  you  down,  while  the  other 
helps  you  up;  and  for  my  part  I  have  done 
with  the  saloon." 

In  the  early  winter  Tamson  Brenner  opened 
a  temperance  school,  to  which  all  under  fifteen 
years  of  age  were  invited.  At  this  announce- 
ment there  was  a  general  buzz  of  excitement 
among  the  children  at  Stafford's  Corner,  as  well 
as  in  all  other  parts  of  the  town.  They  were 
going.  They  liked  Miss  Brenner,  and  considered 
it  an  honor  to  be  associated  with  her  in  any 
capacity.  Moreover,  they  had  read  the  tracts 
and  leaflets  which  still  continued  coming,  and 
were  ready  at  any  time  to  express  their  dislike 
of  beer  and  tobacco. 

So  Stafford  saw  these  children  file  past  his 
office  every  week  on  their  way  to  the  temper- 
ance school ;  knowing  as  he  did  that  every  les- 
son learned  there  would  be  a  condemnation  of 
his  business.  He  would  have  made  an  effort 


318         Old  Benches  ivith  New  Props. 

to  prevent  this,  had  he  not  known  that  such  an 
effort  would  increase  his  unpopularity,  while 
utterly  failing  of  its  purpose. 

The  contrast  between  his  corner  and  ByarcTs 
Corner  was  so  great  the  most  careless  observer 
remarked  it.  He  was  doing  a  profitable  busi- 
ness, but  there  were  times  when  he  would  will- 
ingly have  sacrificed  something  of  these  profits 
for  the  social  recognition  accorded  Thaddeus 
By  am  and  George  Hilliard. 

None  knew  better  than  himself  that  he  was 
losing  favor  in  the  community.  Now  there 
was  a  home  market  for  fruit  and  vegetables, 
farmers  cared  less  for  raising  barley.  Mr.  Bren- 
ner's success  stimulated  others,  and  Stafford 
feared  that  the  spring  would  bring  with  it  in- 
creased activity  on  the  part  of  those  he  counted 
his  enemies. 

This  fear  was  realized,  although  little  was 
said  openly  against  his  business;  it  being  at 
that  time  the  policy  of  those  opposed  to  it  to 
show  the  people  a  better  way  of  living  than 
sacrificing  their  own  interests  to  enrich  one  who 
had  come  among  them  a  stranger,  demanding 
such  sacrifice. 

By  vote  of  the  town  other  industries  were 
exempt  from  taxation ;  all  to  be  located  so  near 
to  Byam's  Corner  as  eventually  to  be  included 
in  the  same  village. 


Ten   Years.  3 1 9 

"Stafford  is  being  checkmated,"  said  Jacob 
Hill,  who,  with  his  wife,  watched  from  Eagle 
Point  the  progress  of  events.  "  When  I  was 
down  to-day  I  heard  he  was  trying  to  have  his 
tenants  clean  up  and  make  his  corner  look  bet- 
ter, but  beer  and  tobacco  and  dirt  are  pretty 
likely  to  go  together. 

"  I  went  to  see  how  Thad  was  coming  on, 
and  there  he  was,  wide  awake  as  ever,  leading 
his  men,  and  inspiring  them  to  do  their  level 
best.  Ben  Aries  was  there,  looking  a  hundred 
per  cent,  better  than  when  we  saw  him  at  Mr. 
Anslow's." 

"And  Cousin  Luke?" 

"  He  is  well,  and  everything  is  going  well 
with  him.  Hilliard  is  doing  a  rushing  busi- 
ness in  lumber,  making  a  regular  monthly  pay- 
ment out  of  his  share  of  the  profits.  Grace 
does  the  bookkeeping,  besides  running  a  small 
wood-yard  on  her  own  account." 

"  She  is  a  nice  girl.  When  she  was  up  here 
with  Tamson,  I  thought,  if  I  was  a  young  man, 
I  shouldn't  know  which  to  choose." 

"  It  would  be  easier  to  choose  than  to  win. 
They  will  be  in  no  hurry  to  give  their  happi- 
ness into  the  hands  of  another.  Tamson  has 
saved  her  father,  her  mother,  and  her  home,  and 
Grace  has  done  as  much  for  her  family,  besides 
helping  to  save  her  brother.  Do  you  remember 


320         Old  Benches  with  New  Props. 

the  day  Tamson  walked  up  here  on  the  snow- 
crust?" 

"  Certainly  I  do.  I  shall  never  forget  that 
day.  Stafford  had  just  started  here,  and  it 
seemed  as  though  everything  was  going  wrong, 
but  since  then  everything  except  Stafford's  Cor- 
ner and  the  brewery  has  changed  for  the  better." 

"  That  is  true,  Prudence,  and  if  we  live  ten 
years  we  shall  see  greater  changes." 

Ten  years  have  passed.  The  prophecy  has 
been  fulfilled.  The  changes  have  been  many 
and  great ;  for  most  of  which  the  people  have 
reason  to  be  profoundly  grateful. 

The  brewery  is  still  there.  Stafford  has  be- 
come a  wealthy  man,  but  his  social  relations 
are  all  outside  of  the  town,  which,  despite  his 
business,  is  considered  the  strongest  temperance 
town  in  the  county. 

The  younger  members  of  the  community  are 
especially  enthusiastic  and  persistent  in  their 
crusade  against  beer  and  tobacco;  able  at  all 
times  to  give  a  reason  for  engaging  in  this 
crusade. 

The  mystery  in  regard  to  the  tracts  and  leaf- 
lets which  had  done  so  much  toward  creating  a 
healthy  public  sentiment  on  this  question,  has 
been  solved.  The  names  of  families  and  in- 
dividuals were  given  to  a  summer  visitor  by  a 
woman  no  one  would  suspect  of  being  in  any 


Ten   Years.  321 

way  concerned.  This  visitor  had  given  the 
literature  from  time  to  time  to  a  Mend  who 
forwarded  it  in  such  a  way  that  no  postmark 
betrayed  the  sender. 

The  Brenner  place  has  been  cleared  of  debt ; 
Mr.  Anslow  having  been  paid  every  dollar  ad- 
vanced by  him.  This  gentleman  and  his  sister 
have  lived  to  rejoice  in  the  prosperity  of  their 
protege,  Ben  Aries,  who,  by  the  death  of  his 
mother,  has  come  into  possession  of  a  comfort- 
able fortune,  he  is  most  happy  to  share  with  his 
wife,  brave  Grace  Hilliard. 

At  Eagle  Point,  Jacob  and  Prudence  Hill 
still  keep  watch  and  ward  over  the  interests  of 
their  friends  ;  ready  at  any  time  to  lend  a  help- 
ing hand  wherever  help  is  required.  Their  last 
days  promise  to  be  their  best  days ;  as  do  the 
last  days  of  Mrs.  Byarn  promise  to  give  her 
more  of  happiness  than  she  has  known  before. 

The  old  bench  under  the  lindens  stands  firm, 
with  props  steady  and  strong.  Here  often  may 
be  seen  an  old  man,  who  counts  his  years  four- 
score and  more,  but  who  forgets  his  age  as  he 
looks  into  the  upturned  face  of  his  grandson 
and  namesake,  "Luke  Brenner  Byarn." 

THE   END. 


o 


